In an odd two-birds-with-one-stone throw, Muni has plans to build its first-ever housing development at Potrero Yard, helping both revitalize the outmoded concrete court and (hopefully) introduce over 250 affordable housing units in the process.
As the Examiner reported on earlier today, a housing project by Muni, two-years long in the tooth, finally seems to be taking shape. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is aiming to build an estimated 525 housing units perched over the bus yard located at 17th and Bryan Streets; of those, 50 percent are expected to fall under current affordable housing parameters.
Join us today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m @thearcherysf (498 Alabama St.) for a Potrero Yard Modernization Project open house & pre-application meeting where neighbors can check out the project concept for our new Potrero Yard facility! https://t.co/7gA1kPmBCy.
— SFMTA (@sfmta_muni) October 26, 2019
It’s an ambitious “target,” yes, but SFMTA officials appear gung-ho on seeing that figure to fruition.
“It’s a target,” said Rafe Rabalais, a long-range asset development manager at SFMTA, to the Examiner’s Joe Fitzgerald Rodruqez in regards to the 50 percent calculation. “It’s not something you can certainly say is done until you’re right on the verge of construction.”
The housing units, themselves, would sit atop Potrero Yard that, in the next few years, will be spruced-up, courtesy of the $400 million Potrero Yard Modernization Project.
Aside from sheltering some of their soon-to-be expanded fleet of hybridized and battery-electric vehicles, the costly build will also usher in new shopping and grocery destinations, as well as business fronts and public community spaces.
But, nevertheless, the sheer amount of affordable housing units shine as the endeavor's relatable focal point.
“We need to do everything we can to address what we know is a serious shortage of housing in our City,” Mayor Breed told the Examiner in a statement. “The proposal to build housing on the SFMTA Muni Yard at Potrero is an exciting step in our efforts to use public lands to create more homes, and while there is an ongoing process that will continue to move forward, we absolutely need to focus on creating as many homes as possible while also delivering the highest number of affordable housing units possible to benefit our residents.”
Though city officials will still need to approve certain vertical zoning requests, the project’s timeline is largely based on Muni’s fleet expansion to greener, electric-only vehicles that can operate absent of any overhead wiring and poles.
A developer is expected to come into the picture by the end of 2020, with construction of the updated Potrero Yard – which includes those 500-something housing units, though their cost isn't currently reflected in the project’s budget– by 2023.
Related: A Brief History Of How San Francisco Ended Up With Electric Trolly Buses
Image: Instagram via @jrepplersf
