This week we get some renderings of a new skyscraper planned for 181 Fremont Street, between Mission and Howard, which would be a slightly boxier, 52-story complement to the under-contruction Transbay Tower. The project goes before Planning this Thursday, and at issue, as always, will be shadows potentially cast as far as Union Square, etc. But as before, we will voice our support for tall, pretty things, because this is a city, after all.

The building will have 74 (likely very expensive) dwelling units up top, with 404,000 sq.ft. of office space, and retail down below. It's designed by architect Heller Manus, who had previously designed the twisty cylinder condo tower that was proposed to go next door to the TransAmerica pyramid at 555 Washington, and which was killed in 2010. The developer is SKS Investments, a locally owned developer and commercial real estate operator.

Anyway, we like the look of it, and it reminds us of I.M. Pei's Bank of China tower in Hong Kong.

[Curbed]
[Rincon Hill SF]

Previously: Planning Commission Says Yes to Tall Buildings!!

We've been interested in the Fell and Masonic deathtrap for a while. So, it was with incredible glee that we saw this, above, on our morning run.

It's pretty simple - there's a left-turn arrow for westbound cars that stays green for about six seconds. Then the turn arrow goes red, and the bike/ped signal goes green. A new, longer left-turn lane has been installed on Fell to ease some potential traffic congestion from left-turning cars who need to wait for bikes and walkers. And, they have cleared quite a few of the low-hanging branches from the trees next to Fell, so westbound traffic can more easily see the signals and approaching foot and bike traffic.

A simple, elegant way to make the Panhandle safer. In San Francisco. Who'd a thunk it?