A recent visit to the construction of Potrero Power Station shows that the lines in the ground are being drawn. Eventually, this ~$2 Billion development will create 2,600 new homes, offices, shops, a public park, and waterfront paths.
This time last year, the site was occupied by a dozen or so industrial buildings. Today, much of the area is dirt and historic structures that will be integrated into future plans. Next year? We may start to see concrete rising for Norman Foster’s 264-foot apartment complex and the adaptive reuse of Station A by Herzog + de Meuron. We reached out to Associate Capital for info about the construction schedule and are waiting for a reply.
Potrero Power Station Development Breaks Ground In Dogpatch, San Francisco
Andrew Nelson
Construction has officially started on the Potrero Power Station development in Dogpatch, San Francisco, following yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony. With Mayor London Breed in attendance, the event marks the beginning of a 29-acre redevelopment that will open up a portion of the city’s eastern waterfront to the public with 5.3 million square feet of offices, housing, and retail around public parks and transit featuring designs by Foster + Partners and Herzog & de Meuron. California Barrel Company of Associate Capital is responsible for the development.
Foster + Partners announced the groundbreaking, along with updated renderings of the firm’s two residential contributions to the project. Block 7A will rise 240 feet tall with 277 new units, retail, and an infinity pool. Block 8 will stand 140 feet tall, adding 249 units, an urban farm, and other high-end residential amenities.
Phase one of construction is expected to build four commercial buildings, $300 million of infrastructure work, a 2.5-acre park, 735 units, including a 98-unit affordable housing building at Block 7B. Potrero Power Station will contribute over 2,600 apartments to the San Francisco housing market along with 100,000 square feet of storefronts, 1.6 million square feet of offices or life science laboratories, and seven acres of public parks at full build-out. Of the units, 780 will be designated as affordable housing.
While the project includes the demolition of six buildings, historic preservation will be focused on three prominent projects, Station A, Union 3 power block, and the iconic 300-foot tall concrete Stack structure. The adaptive reuse of Station A was included as part of the project following community pushback against the idea of its demolition.
The project includes $860 million of public benefits, including an extension of the Bay Trail, a soccer field, 25,000 square feet for a YMCA, daycare, and 36 residential units for a homeless prenatal group.
The first buildings are expected to finish by 2026, with full buildout roughly estimated around 2035 . …
Rendering Looking North Along Proposed Waterfront Park With Pier 70 Mixed-Use District Project (under construction), as Massing in Distance, rendering by Steelblue LLC
Rendering Looking East Along Proposed Power Station Park Towards Unit 3 Power Block, the Boiler Stack, rendering by Steelblue LLC
Block 7A
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The 27-story Block 7A is poised to be the tallest new building in Potrero Power Plant development. The 264-foot structure will contain 433,620 square feet, with 417,420 square feet for residential use, 9,940 square feet for retail, and 6,270 square feet for an on-site childcare facility. The building will contain 325 new apartments.
Block 8 will include 339 new units, ranging from studios to three bedrooms. The 156-foot tall structure will yield 400,500 square feet with 382,500 square feet for residential use and 18,000 square feet for retail. Parking will be included for 177 bicycles for residents, nine bikes for retail, and 11 for the restaurant.
Block 7A and 8 are being designed by Foster + Partners, one of the most high-profile architecture firms in the world. Both blocks will have a similar design, with stepped, tapered, and otherwise manipulated facades for a unique skyline profile and generously sized private balconies. The materials will emphasize natural tones of weathered steel and patina, complementing the existing metal-encased Unit 3 power station, located next to the 300-foot smokestack, to be renamed The Stack.
In contrast, Block 7B will rise on an L-shaped lot with just eight floors, creating 98 affordable dwelling units above 1,820 square feet of ground-level retail and parking for 99 bicycles. The 84-foot tall structure will yield 83,000 square feet. Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects is responsible for the design, built to emphasize the relationship with the historical and industrial site by using similar materials that might include natural colors and patina. Four options for the primary cladding include weathered steel, copper, bronze, or terracotta, each offering a unique dynamic texture.
Block 15, also known as Station A, is perhaps the most unique and complex of the proposed structures with planning documents available. The adaptive reuse of the brick structure is being led by Herzog + de Meuron. The project includes repurposing the large concrete structures in the former turbine hall, adapting the brick walls to make room for new windows, and inserting a new structural frame to ensure building safety.
The 205-foot tall proposal rises from the five-story brick building to yield 403,750 square feet of office space. The project includes a mid-block passage connecting Georgia Lane to Louisiana Paseo and the central public space. The roof will be a modified hipped roof, topped with solar panels and sliced to accommodate a viewing platform. The exterior facade will also include fabric awnings, controlled by building management with overrides for tenants, to maximize interior comfort with the added benefit of creating a unique aesthetic transformation to the facade.
The Station’s ground level will include a five-story-high-ceiling lobby, conference center, a multi-functional space, and a lounge within the Turbine Hall, where the building’s past will be on full display. Visible from the building’s public passage between Georgia Lane and the Power Station Park West, the Turbine Hall will display the massive turbine foundation.
The history of the land extends back to 1881, when Claus Spreckels established a sugar refinery on the peninsula land, refining sugar from the American plantations in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Station A was built in 1901 as a power plant to support the refinery. By 1905, the plant was producing most of the city’s power, at which point PG&E acquired it. At one point, the plant was responsible for producing a third of the city’s power before being closed in 2011 to usher in more environmentally friendly sources.
