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Planning Commission approves Kilroy plan to relocate San Francisco Flower Market to Potrero Hill with conditions
Summary
After mixed public comment the Planning Commission unanimously approved Kilroy Realty’s plan to relocate the San Francisco Flower Market to 901 Sixteenth Street, including options for a large parking variant and conditions for continued community design work and possible after‑hours activation of the garage (6–0).
The Planning Commission unanimously approved a Kilroy‑sponsored project to relocate and modernize the San Francisco Flower Market at 901 Sixteenth Street in Potrero Hill, finding that the proposal retained a historic PDR function while providing a larger, more secure wholesale facility for vendors.
Planning staff described the project as a reuse of a cluster of industrial buildings combined with new construction: a market hall of roughly 125,000 square feet, a mezzanine for small vendors, and a public parking garage variant sized at approximately 150–180 spaces depending on the option the sponsor selects. The Department noted letters of support from Unite Here Local 2, the Hotel Council (for related projects in the area), the East Cut Community Benefit District and the San Francisco Bridal Association; departments also received concerns about exterior color, fenestration and truck loading impacts.
Alexandra Stokley of Kilroy presented the sponsor’s outreach and commitments. Vance Yoshida, president of the Flower Market board, said the plan "will provide a new home for our 45 vendors who are mostly owner‑operated and employ over 300 employees," emphasizing the market’s special refrigerated distribution needs and the operational rationale for limited windows and a single controlled entry for loading operations.
Public comment was mixed: Potrero neighborhood boosters sought a brief continuance and design refinements (noting the long frontage and gateway role of the site), while many Flower Market vendors and customers testified in strong support, urging retention of two decks of parking and robust loading accommodations. Commissioners stressed the project’s rare opportunity to retain PDR jobs and recommended conditions to (a) continue community design work on façade color and landscaping, (b) ensure that bike parking is designed to meet code and be accessible without burdening an emergency easement, and (c) explore activating the garage for community uses after hours. The Department’s errata corrected the variance parking count to 180 spaces for the variant.
The commission approved the project and the larger variant, with the motion including the staff‑read corrections and the additional outreach and activation conditions; the vote was unanimous, 6–0.
