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Commission certifies final EIR for 1629 Market Street, OKs development agreement with 100‑unit supportive housing commitment
Summary
The Planning Commission certified the final EIR for the 1629 Market Street project and approved a development agreement that requires a privately financed 100‑unit supportive housing building (Colton Street) to be completed before market renovation of the Civic Center Hotel; the project will deliver roughly 28% affordable housing across the site and new public open space.
The Planning Commission certified the final environmental impact report for the 1629 Market Street mixed‑use project and approved a package of implementing actions on Oct. 19, including General Plan and zoning amendments and a focused development agreement committing the developer to a set of public benefits.
Project in brief: Developer Strada Investment Group proposed a 2.2‑acre mixed‑use redevelopment at 1629 Market Street including multiple residential buildings (up to 584 units by some counts during schematic stages) with significant open space, rehabilitation of the Civic Center Hotel, a new union facility, and a 2‑level below‑grade garage. The final EIR identified two significant and unavoidable impacts at the project or cumulative level: effects to historic architectural resources (project‑level) and construction‑period cumulative transportation impacts.
What the Development Agreement requires: Under the DA, the sponsor will privately fund and deliver a 100‑unit, 100% supportive housing building on Colton Street (for formerly homeless individuals) with on‑site services and operator Community Housing Partnership (CHP). The DA conditions the project so that certificates of occupancy and permits for Civic Center Hotel renovation cannot proceed until the Colton Street supportive housing is complete and ready for occupancy — a sequencing commitment that the sponsor says is designed to avoid displacement of current Civic Center residents and provide immediate homeless housing capacity. The sponsor committed to fund the supportive building gap financing without city funds.
Affordable housing and public benefits: The DA raises the project’s on‑site affordability to roughly 27–28% (including the 100‑unit supportive building) and delivers approximately 23,400 sq. ft. of privately owned, publicly accessible open space (Joseph P. Mazzola Gardens). Strada also committed to a first‑source hiring agreement and to community benefit contributions; the developer said it will seek Mills Act designation and restore the Civic Center Hotel facade.
Why it matters: The DA is notable because it requires private gap financing of deeply‑affordable supportive housing delivered on site and sequences that housing ahead of market renovations, answering neighborhood concerns about displacement. The Commission adopted findings and the DA and recommended the package to the Board of Supervisors.
Attribution: Planning staff presentations, the sponsor’s statements and the final certification and roll‑call votes are recorded in the commission transcript of Oct. 19, 2017. Staff presentations noted the FEIR’s conclusions and recommended certification; the commission approved the FEIR and forwarded project approvals.
