Planning Commission certifies EIR and approves 1028 Market Street project with public‑benefit commitments

The Planning Commission certified the Final Environmental Impact Report and approved project findings for a proposed mixed‑use building at 1028 Market Street. Planning staff summarized the EIR findings, noting two significant and unavoidable project impacts on the Market Street Theater & Loft historic district tied to demolition and new construction scale; mitigations include Historic American Buildings Survey documentation and a permanent interpretive display.

Project sponsors Tidewater Capital and Warhorse described a 13‑story, 127‑foot building with up to 186 rental units, including 25 on‑site below‑market‑rate units (13.5%), roughly 9,000 square feet of ground‑floor retail, 42 parking spaces and 143 bicycle stalls. The sponsor said the project would create more than 200 construction jobs and provide neighborhood benefits including job fairs, public‑art selection by public RFQ and $20 million of public investment over ten years. The sponsor highlighted a multi‑year community engagement program, including operation of an interim food hall and hundreds of community meetings.

Public testimony at the hearing was heavily supportive, including neighborhood nonprofits, unions and small businesses that credited Tidewater with community work through the hall and committed retail choices. Speakers asked the commission to require the interpretive program and public‑benefit commitments be delivered with follow‑up reporting; Commissioner Johnson asked for a staff report back on the interpretive program to ensure appropriate mitigation for historic resources.

The commission approved certification of the final EIR and subsequent project approvals (adoption of CEQA findings and conditional use authorization) by unanimous votes.