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City unveils draft Market Street Hub plan with streetscape, heights and value‑capture proposals
Summary
Planning staff presented a draft Market Street Hub framework for the Van Ness/Market area on March 16 that includes streetscape redesigns, new open spaces, modest height increases on selected parcels and a proposed community facilities district to capture value for transit, child care and affordable housing.
City planning staff presented a draft vision for the Market Street Hub (Van Ness/Market/SoMa West) on March 16, outlining streetscape upgrades, potential height adjustments and a proposal to use a community facilities district (CFD) to fund transit and open‑space improvements.
The plan envisions substantial public‑realm work—redesigned crosswalks, widened sidewalks on Twelfth and other streets, and new small open spaces including a reimagined Brady Park—coordinated with private development. Staff showed preliminary streetscape designs and said improvements would be tied to private entitlements so the city and developers deliver new public space and ongoing maintenance.
On land use and urban form, planning proposed targeted increases on about 16 parcels to deliver more housing; early estimates indicate the plan could enable roughly 9,000 units in the study area with about 2,500 set aside as affordable under the proposed upzoning assumptions. Staff emphasized tapering and skyline sensitivity while pressing for more family‑sized units (2‑ and 3‑bedroom mixes).
To pay for transit capacity, open‑space maintenance and child care, staff recommended studying a CFD (similar to the Transbay model) with a capital component on parcels that receive upzoning and a voluntary services component for other properties. Early feasibility work produced a wide revenue range; staff said a CFD could add significant funds but would require negotiated participation and legal steps to establish.
Commissioners praised the visual material and requested 3‑D modeling, stronger value‑recapture analysis, and additional detail on how the CFD would be structured and spent. Commissioners also asked staff to consider comparable best practices in other cities and to return with a refined package for environmental review and adoption.
Next steps: planning will enter environmental review and continue stakeholder outreach; commissioners asked staff to convene follow‑up technical sessions and a working group to refine heights, public‑realm designs, CFD mechanics and housing mix.
