Board approves Mission Bay South amendment to add 250 affordable units and raise height to 250 feet

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors, sitting as a committee of the whole on Jan. 27, approved an amendment to the Mission Bay South redevelopment plan that increases the maximum building height on Block 4 East from 160 feet to 250 feet and adds 250 affordable dwelling units to facilitate a 100% affordable housing project.

Philip Wong, a development specialist with the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII), presented the amendment and explained the package is limited to the northern half of Block 4 East. Wong said the change will accommodate additional family-size units and help deliver 398 total units across phase 1 and phase 2 of the development. He noted the project was determined exempt from CEQA under Assembly Bill 1449, which exempts 100% affordable housing projects from CEQA review. "The request before you today is to approve an amendment to the Mission Bay South redevelopment plan to increase unit count and building height," Wong told the board.

OCII said Curtis Development and Bayview Senior Services were selected as developers after an RFQ; the unit mix was described as roughly 25% one-bedroom, 50% two-bedroom and 25% three-bedroom, with several larger family units including four- and five-bedroom units. Staff outlined a development schedule that targets pursuing financing in 2026, beginning construction on phase 1 in early 2027 with completion by 2029, and starting phase 2 construction in 2028 with completion by 2030.

Public commenters included trade and contractor representatives urging the developers and OCII to include local community contractors on the build and neighborhood advocates who asked whether the units would truly serve longtime San Franciscans. "We support the project, but we also wanna encourage the developers to include community contractors on the development phases," said Demetrius Williams, president of a local hyper-local building trades contractors collective. Other commenters urged stronger pathways for local minority-led developers to participate in acquisition and ownership, and asked for clearer protections against displacement.

After the public hearing the board voted 11–0 to pass the ordinance on first reading. Supervisors and staff acknowledged the project's timeline and emphasized the project's focus on larger-family units and units set aside for families experiencing homelessness. OCII and the developers will proceed with financing efforts and report back as the project moves toward construction.