The San Francisco Examiner used to call the Tenderloin "hell at your doorstep," but despite the bad rap and funky condition of the sidewalks, it's one of San Francisco's greatest neighborhoods. It's also a longtime holdout against major development or redevelopment, even as the tech sector spreads through its southern-lying little brother neighborhood, Mid-Market.
Still, today's news that Reddit is leasing space on Taylor Street is the latest sign that the 30 blocks east of Van Ness are not immune to market realities. Will everything change? Do we want it to? Or will the Tenderloin simply stay the Tenderloin? Here are ten deals primed to help decide what kind of Tenderloin San Francisco will see in the future.
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Map: 10 Real Estate Deals Poised to Remake the Tenderloin
Reddit just leased an enormous space in the middle of the Tenderloin. Will tech have its way here like it has with other San Francisco neighborhoods?
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The Reddit Building
Reddit doesn't officially have its name on the building yet, but it well could soon, with the news of a 50,000-square-foot lease (for $64 a foot). It's an unusual move, a huge, name-brand tech company ditching its SoMa space and setting up shop a block away from GLIDE, but Reddit's wild and rambunctious brand is often a good fit for the Tenderloin aesthetic.
1066 Market Street
New market-rate condos in the Tenderloin, owned by Shorenstein Properties to boot? What's the world coming to? The presence of this proposed 300-unit, Arquitectonica-designed building at the Tenderloin's front door makes many nervous, The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation suggests that with only 36 affordable units, it will price out neighbors. But Planning approved it 5-2 in March.
145 Leavenworth
This micro-unit building (apartments will range from 250-450 square feet) was approved last summer but has been delayed because developer Forge Land Company wants it to be a prefab building. What's more, a few new technical tricks have to be developed to create a seven-story building prefab style. They estimate that construction will begin within six months, and promise it will be one of the quickest builds in city history.
361 Turk Street
The sibling building to 145 Leavenworth. The buildings will have 231 units between them, and 5,000 square feet of commercial space. The bronze exteriors are modeled on the de Young. Forge estimates that units will be priced at about 135 percent of Area Median Income.
Onsen Holistic Spa
Right now this is just a derelict auto repair shop, but Onsen company wants to transform it into a traditional Japanese-style spa and bath house, serving tea and offering acupuncture and massage treatments. Scheduled to open this fall.
135 Hyde Street
Another garage fallen on hard times, developers want to add six stories of micro-units on top of it (51 total) and turn the ground-floor into commercial space.
The Halal Guys
Where does the Tenderloin end and Union Square begin? The future site of Halal Guys is within kicking distance of the Hilton and ACT Theater, but also from GLIDE. In any case, this New York institution will be slinging Halal to O'Farrell Street soon.
Franciscan Towers
The locals are mindful of these market-rate developments creeping in, but the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation made up for lost ground with the rehab of this 105-unit affordable building, lost to fire damage for five years before reopening a month ago. SROs have always been the spine of the Tenderloin's housing stock, and will keep being a big factor as the neighborhood endeavors to stay affordable in the face of market-rate development.
469 Eddy Street
Another garage. A lot of that going around. The garage itself will become a coffee shop (hopefully keeping as much of the facade's integrity as possible), while 28 new condos from JS Sullivan sprout behind it.
25 Mason Street
And here's the one that got away: Asian Pacific International Capital wanted to turn the Hotel Metropolis into a 12-story, 109-unit condo building. While we may still see those plans someday, a company spokesperson says it'll be up to whoever the next owner is, as they've opted to sell the place rather than go forward with the development.
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