By Tes Welborn, HANC President
On June 23 and 24, the developer team for 730 Stanyan introduced themselves to the greater neighborhood via video conferencing. The builders are a team of well-known non-profit housing developers, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and Chinatown Community Development Center, TNDC and CCDC. Both have considerable experience with housing families, seniors, youth, and people formerly homeless. They also manage the properties that they build. Visit their websites(https://www.tndc.org/ and https://www.chinatowncdc.org/ ) to see examples of their work. A site for 730 Stanyan (https://www.730stanyan.org/) has been created, as well, and should be updated soon.
CCDC and TNDC were selected by the Mayor's Office of Housing to jointly develop the site. Both developers have built for people down to the lowest incomes, and with an understanding of racial and social inequities. They plan considerable community involvement, both before design, during construction, and during property management. They introduced two architectural teams working with them, YA Studios and OMA, and showed some photos of their local work. There was some discussion of the site itself, proximity to Golden Gate Park and the Skate Park, and to neighborhood Victorians. They saw the three street fronts of the site as very different, calling for different treatments. The developers want this to be a project that folks can feel good about.
Current plans focus on families and seniors, though there may be a possibility of including some Transition-Aged Youth, who are leaving foster care. Resident incomes will be mainly from 30% to 100% AMI, though some residents may not have incomes. Some 25% or 40 units will be reserved for formerly homeless persons and families. Currently, 30% AMI means maximum incomes for a family of three are $34,600 and for a single person, $26,900. 100% AMI means maximum incomes for a family of three are $115,300 and for a single person, $89,650. One comment pointed out that residents could be potential Haight Street business employees. Another comment was that many seniors and other San Franciscans don't even reach the 30% AMI income levels.
Developers hope to include community and resident services on the ground floor, including a possible community center, and some retail space too. Perhaps coffee and some affordable food option? Childcare is also being considered. Parking (other than bicycle parking) is not. Applicants for retail or services will go through a public RFP process.
While the site can accommodate up to 85 feet of development, no decisions have been made about height. Low and moderate income housing is usually built with less costly wood construction, rather than concrete and steel, since rentals will be subsidized. The actual number and types of housing units is also still to be determined, depending on the populations served. Residents will be selected through the city's DAHLIA website applications. It's not too early to get familiar with the system, application process, and housing available.
CCDC and TNDC plan the next community meeting in August. Construction is expected to start next summer and take about 18 months.
The rest of the meeting was TNDC and CCDC representatives, Emily Van Loon and Bo Han, respectively, answering a number of questions, some pre-submitted, others submitted at the meeting through a Q&A feature.
There will be an on-site property manager and janitorial staff.