Strada Development Group has filed updated plans for a transformative project at 88 Bluxome Street in San Francisco’s SoMa district. The proposal aims to introduce two skyscrapers featuring 1,500 rental apartments on the former Bay Club San Francisco Tennis complex site, with buildings reaching heights of 51 and 58 stories. The 2.6-acre property was purchased for $140 million in 2017, with initial plans to build an office complex anchored by Pinterest alongside a new tennis club.
However, as work-from-home trends took hold in 2020, Pinterest terminated its 490,000-square-foot lease, leading to a shift in redevelopment strategy. The tennis club closed in 2019 and was demolished in late 2020, with the property remaining vacant since 2021. Strada’s application highlights plans for two high-rise towers with rooftop heights of 600 feet and 528 feet.
The project will offer over 1.1 million square feet of housing, parking for 468 cars, and 2,300 square feet of retail space.
SoMa’s proposed high-rise development
The site will also include facilities for 468 bicycles, 77,880 square feet of usable open space, and 1,730 square feet of public open space.
Out of the 1,500 units, 150 will be designated as affordable housing for households earning around half of the area’s median income. The design, managed by Danish architectural firm Henning Larsen, draws inspiration from California’s natural landscapes and includes a “Green Valley” concept, integrating ample open space within its architectural design. The property borders Bluxome Street, Brannan Street, and 5th Street, ensuring future residents will be conveniently located near transit options, including the San Francisco Caltrain Station and the Fourth and Brannan light rail station.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities remains the property owner, but specific timelines and cost estimates for the project have yet to be disclosed. The Bay Club, which owned the original tennis club, is suing Alexandria for $17.5 million, claiming the developer left it without a permanent home. Strada’s proposal is the first to leverage new regulations that allow large-scale development projects in Central SoMa to transition from commercial to residential use.
The introduction of this development marks a significant step towards reshaping San Francisco’s skyline and addressing housing needs in the city.
