"Unfortunately, our neighborhood is not as organized or as politically powerful as the folks on Telegraph Hill" says today's Rincon Hill SF, launching another battle in the war against tall buildings— here, at Sea Wall Lot 330, the triangular plot bordered by Bryant Street, Beale Street, and The Embarcadero. Some Rincon Hill residents are ready to throw down with North Beach over proposed development for the site; as it stands, legislation allows for new buildings to surpass the 45-foot height limit enforced in that area. The nabes plans to approach the Planning Commission with a request that the height cap be re-instated; a petition is circulating online right now, and will be presented at Thursday's meeting. [Rincon Hill SF]
Everyone has a piece to say on the new Transbay Terminal Plan released by the city last week. Join us today as we relay some of the most inflammatory best sound bytes we've come across on the Interweb: From BeyondChron's Paul Hogarth: "If you’re upset about Rincon Tower, the worse may be yet to come. Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle lauded plans for South-of-Market – a future “Midtown Manhattan” that will include a 1,000-foot tower (along with six other high-rises) at the new Transbay Terminal. Despite the City’s proud history of battling high-rise development, now we’re supposed to support raising downtown height limits because it will mean “more housing.” But who in San Francisco needs this housing? Most of it will be luxury condos for millionaires and not for San Franciscans."
Everyone has a piece to say on the new Transbay Terminal Plan released by the city last week. Join us today as we relay some of the most inflammatory best sound bytes we've come across on the Interweb: From Rincon Hill nabe crusader Jamie Whitaker, as printed in the Chron's weekend edition: "San Francisco has an opportunity to walk the talk about caring for our environment by adding to the density of San Francisco's job center with a public transit, and pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, core. The entire Bay Area can reach our downtown via BART, Caltrain, high-speed rail (keep your fingers crossed) bus or ferryboat. Let's do it and stop being so petulant about higher high-rises if we truly want to try to help the environment in San Francisco.
We listen to the CurbedWire for tips and treats on what's going down in the city. Got deets? To the wire!
JAPANTOWN—Yesterday's ditty on the "Rincon Hill Effect" in Japantown caused quite the stir (our tongue, it appears, was not planted firmly enough in our cheek on this one. And yet if we would have cursed ...) After a lengthy upbraiding regarding our lack of planning know-how, an anonymous commenter—love you!—dropped the following crumb: "My insider's tip is that this proposal has been pulled back by the project sponsors and that they're re-evaluating the proposed design. Stay tuned for what will almost certainly be a shorter, but still tall, building that may even comply with the already not-so-low current zoned height limit. it always helps your project when you don't have to seek a politically-frought legislative (and quasi-legal) spot re-zoning just to benefit your project." [CurbedWire]
Socket Site picked up the scent on the latest deets on the Japantown redevelopment effort. What started out as truly nabe-centric project is now beginning to smack of "big business," as it were: Local residents are feeling the rub of developer The ADCO Group's proposed 38-story, elliptical shaped phallus tower at 1481 Post Street. The scheme allows for market-rate units built atop tennis courts, with 5 levels of underground parking beneath it all— all well and good, right? What Japantown really has on its hands, however, is a bona fide Catch 22. Though logic dictates that with increased height yields greater density— along with more room for more bells, whistles, and most importantly, units— the nabe is nevertheless uneasy with the idea of such a tall tower setting a precedent for future development in the area. A shorter building will yield a decrease in the number of affordable housing units however, which in turn will give those displaced by redevelopment efforts less to come back to. Sure, the redevelopers have offered to reconsider the plans. But let's be honest: for better or worse, tall buildings tend to beget tall buildings. Looks like Japantown is about to feel the Rincon Hill Effect, no?
· J-Town Concerned About High-Rise Plans [Asian Week]
· 1481 Post Street [website]
· Japantown Plans Revealed [Curbed SF]
· Japantown Revamp: We Smell Condos [Curbed SF]
[Image courtesy The ADCO Group]
In a follow-up to last week's announcement of Google's arrival at former Gap H.Q. 345 Spear Street, SF New Developments predicts that the influx of presumably moneyed techies will have a direct impact on the Infinity's sales (approximately 10% remain unsold) and rentals. Any Googlers out there care to confirm or deny this hypothesis?
A reader submitted this shot, taken a day or two ago in Rincon Hill: "Did Rincon Hill SF not receive their copy of the blogger's handbook, stating that blog traffic is generated online, not with freaking paper? As in, 'I link, you link, we all link to each other'?" Apparently not, but with a nabe as endearing as Rincon Hill, we find this absolutely anachronistic act of brotherly love almost poignant. Makes us want to abandon our iPhones for the evening. Or pen a love letter on parchment, with a quill pen fashioned from a Peacock's feather. Psyche.
Posse up, Rincon Hill neighbors. This just in from a reader: "So I just happened by the Rincon Park restaurants and there are basically cars lining the surrounding sidewalks on the Embarcadero. A de facto parking lot— very unsightly." What our fair informant failed to mention, however, was the Segway scooter plowing through the scene. And without a reflective vest! Douché.
So...is "Batman Views" a professional real estate term? Or has the bar been lowered that far for both headlines and property descriptions? Or maybe it's raised the bar – it's just so hard to tell the difference these days. Anyway, for those of you who are curious, the superhero scenery come courtesy of a $1,477,000, 2 bedroom, 1,07 sq ft corner unit in the Metropolitan. The Rincon Hill building offers resident parking, indoor pool, a fully equipped gym, and a "movie theater". We're not sure why it's in quotes, so you might want to be careful with that one. So what kind of hero headquarters does 1.5 million get you these days?
On the Northwest corner of Beale and Bryant streets, a vacant lot lies waiting. Owned by Caltrans, the transit organization wants to work with local residents to develop a "neighborhood friendly alternative" to building on the site. The Bay Bridge Base Beautification group— nice touch with the alliteration there— are working with Caltrans on the development, and asking for your design suggestions. B4, as they are called, have posted to their website a nice summary of the project and images for download and use as backgrounds in your redesign. The next community meeting is January 15th, so after you've drank your fill of eggnog and told your family what you really think of them, why not use your holiday time off to help beautify your neighborhood?
· Join Your Neighbors in the Bay Bridge Base Beautification Group [Rincon Hill SF]
· Bay Bridge Base Beautification Project
Ding ding! Following yesterday's vote, the first in the Curbed Cup tourney, SoMa edged out— OK, more like "delivered a sharp elbow to"— North Beach with 58% of the vote (106 votes) to NB's 41.8% (76 Votes). So SoMa will move onto the second round. But back to the first— first round, second match up: Let's pit Rincon Hill against Hayes Valley. What with all of the One Rincon Hill/ Infinity madness, the area barely needs an introduction. Beyond the buildings, Rincon Hill also saw much public art action over the past year. We've been watching The Hayes rise up in Hayes Valley, adding more cache to this trendy 'hood. On the resto front, Rincon Park will soon host Epic Roast House and Waterbar, while the Infinity will welcome restaurateur Nancy Oakes. Notables Bar Jules, and La Boulange popped up in Hayes Valley, too. So off we go— to the polls!
Rincon Hill Nabes Association: not happy. Rincon Hill SF kvetches about open space— or lack thereof— in the area, fuming that while $2 per square foot of commercial space is collected by city developers solely for the improvement of public spaces, that figure skyrockets to $11 for residential real estate. By Rincon Hill blogger Jamie Whitaker's estimate, such development in the Rincon Hill and the Transbay Area should net around $50,000,000 for open space improvements in the area. Problemo? The fundage is being funneled to other parts of the city— namely, to those with strong merchant or nabes associations (hello North Beach!). While Whitaker does place some culpability on Supervisor Chris Daley, he ultimately blames the nabes itself: "it really comes down to the residents of Rincon Hill not chewing somebody’s ass to pieces in City Hall on a regular basis and fighting to make sure those funds are spent within Rincon Hill." Saddle up, and ride . . .
· Development Impact Fees Collected in Rincon Hill Used in Other Neighborhoods Because We Don’t Have a Voice in City Hall [Rincon Hill SF]
["Rincon Park" courtesy Flickr photog aurmanita]
From our older siblings in LA, news of another threat to One Rincon Hill. No, not that it's been voted the least attractive building on the West Coast, or the Pacific Rim. It's not- it's just bland and characterless and over six hundred feet tall. Perfect for San Diego. Or Miami. The sad news is that by 2010 it will no longer be the tallest residential building west of the Mississippi.
We know, you look up at this glass and tapioca tower and hey, it must be almost finished. Well, it's not. Those segmented vertical bays being applied to the structure? The finished building will have nine of them, and so far, they're just finishing slapping on number five. No word on when the shoter, uglier sister tower goes up, slightly to the left.
· Downtown Tower could be Tallest in West [Downtown News]
· Biggest Building Coming? [Curbed LA]
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Everyone has a piece to say on the new Transbay Terminal Plan released by the city last week. Join us today as we relay some of the 
Yesterday's ditty on the "Rincon Hill Effect" in Japantown caused quite the stir (our tongue, it appears, was not planted firmly enough in our cheek on this one. And yet if we would have cursed ...) After a lengthy upbraiding regarding our lack of planning know-how, an anonymous commenter—love you!—dropped the following crumb: "My insider's tip is that this proposal has been pulled back by the project sponsors and that they're re-evaluating the proposed design. Stay tuned for what will almost certainly be a shorter, but still tall, building that may even comply with the already not-so-low current zoned height limit. it always helps your project when you don't have to seek a politically-frought legislative (and quasi-legal) spot re-zoning just to benefit your project." [CurbedWire] 
Socket Site 
Ding ding! Following yesterday's vote, the first in the Curbed Cup tourney, SoMa edged out— OK, more like "delivered a sharp elbow to"— North Beach with 58% of the vote (106 votes) to NB's 41.8% (76 Votes). So SoMa will move onto the second round. But back to the first— first round, second match up: Let's pit Rincon Hill against Hayes Valley. What with all of the 
Rincon Hill Nabes Association: not happy. Rincon Hill SF kvetches about open space— or lack thereof— in the area, fuming that while $2 per square foot of commercial space is collected by city developers solely for the improvement of public spaces, that figure skyrockets to $11 for residential real estate. By Rincon Hill blogger Jamie Whitaker's estimate, such development in the Rincon Hill and the Transbay Area should net around $50,000,000 for open space improvements in the area. Problemo? The fundage is being funneled to other parts of the city— namely, to those with strong merchant or nabes associations (hello North Beach!). While Whitaker does place some culpability on Supervisor Chris Daley, he ultimately blames the nabes itself: "it really comes down to the residents of Rincon Hill not chewing somebody’s ass to pieces in City Hall on a regular basis and fighting to make sure those funds are spent within Rincon Hill." Saddle up, and ride . . . 
