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Commission approves Tishman Speyer’s Central SoMa proposal with park dedication and fee waiver; requires 18‑month update
Summary
The commission approved Tishman Speyer’s multi‑phase Central SoMa development (three office buildings, retail/PDR, a roughly 1‑acre park and a land dedication for 100% affordable housing), including a staff‑recommended park fee waiver and a required 18‑month public progress report.
The Planning Commission on June 6 unanimously approved a large project authorization for a Tishman Speyer development in Central SoMa that dedicates land for an approximately one‑acre public park, sets aside a parcel for a 100‑percent affordable housing building and proposes extensive PDR, retail and childcare uses.
Planning staff described the project as an assemblage of multiple buildings framed around a central public park. The sponsor said phase 1 would construct two mixed‑use office buildings and dedicate land for the park and an affordable housing site, while phase 2 would add a third building, more office space, PDR and a childcare facility. Staff estimated eligible park‑fee waiver value at roughly $33.3 million and proposed a distribution across Eastern Neighborhoods and Central SoMa infrastructure fees, with a formal fee‑waiver agreement attached to the recommendation.
Tishman representatives described a land swap (2,000 Marin) that enables the park, and pledged public benefits including a childcare facility sized for up to 100 children, PDR and neighborhood retail, a significant bike parking program and sustainability commitments (solar‑ready roofs, living roofs and district‑scale water strategies).
Labor organizations, neighborhood groups and community service providers widely supported the project in public comment, citing local hiring, union commitments and community partnerships. Some long‑term neighbors voiced concerns about shading, shadows and the timing of park delivery if later phases are delayed; staff amended motions to include clarifying language that the land swap is a prerequisite for park construction and to require a mandatory 18‑month progress report to the commission to track entitlements and construction progress.
The commission approved the project with the conditions read into the record and an amendment requiring an 18‑month update report; the vote was unanimous 5–0.
Why it matters: The approval unlocks a major office‑and‑park project in Central SoMa that is intended to deliver both private office space and public benefits, including land for permanently affordable housing. The timing of Prop M allocations and phasing will determine when those benefits — and linkage fees — materialize.
Next steps: Staff will finalize the park fee waiver agreement and conditions and return with required follow‑up reports, including the 18‑month update mandated by the commission.
