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SFMTA presents Potrero Yard modernization with up to 575 housing units atop new bus facility
Summary
SFMTA told the Planning Commission the Potrero Yard modernization would rebuild an obsolete bus yard and add up to 575 housing units above it, aiming for at least 50% affordable units and targeting full project completion by 2026; presenters highlighted a draft EIR and a competitive RFP process for developer selection.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency on Thursday laid out plans to rebuild Potrero Yard as a modern bus maintenance and storage facility and to add housing above the site, presenting a concept the agency described as among the largest joint‑use projects the city has pursued.
SFMTA Director Jeffrey Tomlin said the plan replaces a century‑old facility and would support transit service and the city’s electrification goals while leveraging public land to increase housing supply. “This project is a remarkable opportunity to address our city’s critical need for more affordable housing on top of a public bus yard,” Tomlin said during the Planning Commission’s informational session.
Why it matters: The 4.4‑acre Potrero Yard site would combine a three‑floor bus facility with up to seven stories of housing above, producing as many as 575 units. SFMTA staff estimated the bus facility alone at roughly $450 million and said total project costs with the housing component could approach, but remain under, $1 billion. The project is being advanced to environmental review: planners expect to publish a draft environmental impact report in June and aim to certify an EIR and move into final entitlements in 2022, with construction completing by the end of 2026.
What proponents say: Project managers emphasized the public‑benefit potential. Lucina Eberi, SFMTA project manager, said the agency is asking developer teams in the RFP to push affordability well beyond a 50% floor. Ray Bridal, who led the presentation on the housing component, said the mayor’s Office of Housing had allocated $35 million toward deeper affordability and that scoring in the RFP will reward proposals that deliver more deeply affordable units.
What opponents and advocates said: Public commenters urged the city to maximize deeply affordable and extremely low‑income units. Hunter Cutting of the Sierra Club said a 50% minimum could still allow hundreds of market‑rate units that might accelerate displacement in the Mission. Core housing advocates urged the city to prioritize family‑friendly units, childcare access and protections for neighborhood residents.
Process and next steps: SFMTA issued a request for proposals to three shortlisted teams; a city selection panel will score proposals, and the agency expects to enter a pre‑development agreement with the selected team in late 2021. Planning staff and SFMTA said the scoring panel’s recommendation and supporting scoring memo will be public, and that the selected project agreement will later require approvals by the SFMTA board and Board of Supervisors.
The Planning Commission treated the presentation as informational; staff and the commission asked SFMTA to prioritize deeply affordable units, to elaborate transportation‑demand management (TDM) measures and to keep community engagement active as proposals are refined.
