News Courtesy of Mayor London Breed's Office of Communications~~
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MAYOR LONDON BREED, SUPERVISOR SHAMANN WALTON, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF FIRST POTRERO HILL RESIDENTIAL BUILDING UNDER HOPE SF
As part of the Mayor’s commitment to preserving and rebuilding public housing in San Francisco, 619 units of distressed public housing to be replaced and an additional 1,000 affordable homes to be created under HOPE SF initiative
San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed, Supervisor Shamann Walton, and community members today celebrated the grand opening of 1101 Connecticut Avenue, a 71-unit affordable housing development that is the first project to be completed as part of the HOPE SF Potrero Hill Master Plan.
The Potrero Hill Master Plan is a comprehensive effort to rebuild 619 units of distressed public housing and create another 1,000 new homes with a range of affordability, plus community facilities, retail, open space, and neighborhood services. Once the final of five construction and development phases is completed in 2029, the Potrero Hill Master Plan will result in between 1,400 and 1,700 units, 65% of which will be affordable.
“As someone who grew up in public housing, I can remember how bad the conditions were back then and I am extremely proud of San Francisco’s commitment to rebuilding and preserving our public housing units,” said Mayor Breed. “Over the coming years, we are going to fulfill our promise to the residents here at Potrero Hill, and transform this community so that all of them have the homes and the community they deserve.”
1101 Connecticut features studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Fifty-three of the apartments serve residents who are moving directly from Potrero public housing into the new building, 18 serve low-income households who do not currently reside at Potrero Annex/Terrace, and there is one unit for the on-site manager. Amenities include a large community room and courtyard, a homework room, laundry facilities, services and management offices, and bike parking. The development is pursuing a LEED Gold certification.
“I am extremely thrilled to see the first units of brand new housing here in Potrero Hill under HOPE SF. I remember back in 2003 (when I was working at the Potrero Hill Family Resource Center) having conversations about new housing right here in community and here we are 16 years later, fulfilling a promise. As we enter into the next phase of construction here in Potrero Hill, these first units are the example of what we can do,” said Supervisor Walton.
San Francisco’s HOPE SF initiative is the nation’s first large-scale community development effort aimed at disrupting intergenerational poverty, reducing social isolation, and creating vibrant mixed-income communities without mass displacement. Two of the four sites – Alice Griffith and Hunters View – have largely completed their public housing transformation. The other two sites – Potrero Hill and Sunnydale – are at the beginning of the multi-year, multi-phase transformation process. Once completed, the re-envisioned Potrero Hill and Sunnydale communities will be mixed-income, service-enriched communities, affordable to more than 3,000 low-income and middle-class families, and developed according to the
non-displacement principles of the Mayor’s HOPE SF initiative.
“The vision has been to transform the physical environment as well as to improve opportunities for current and future residents of South Potrero,” said Cynthia A. Parker, President and CEO of BRIDGE Housing. “We’re so proud to have worked with the community and our partners to reach this major milestone, and we look forward to many more celebrations to come.”
The master developer is BRIDGE Housing, which, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) and the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA), was selected to transform Potrero into a vibrant, unified mixed-income community. Financial partners for the development include the City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco Housing Authority, Citi Community Capital, Wells Fargo, Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, California Tax Credit Allocation Committee and California Debt Limit Allocation Committee. The architects are Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP, Y.A. Studio, and the general contractor is Cahill Contractors.
“It was exciting to be one of the first residents to move into 1101 Connecticut,” said Johnnie Ledbetter, who has lived in Potrero public housing for nearly a decade. “I thank everybody for their support in making the transition. I'm looking forward to building a future here and doing everything I can do to help grow our community.”
“As a leading affordable housing investor and lender, we are thrilled to be making a long-term investment in this neighborhood and others throughout the City. We applaud BRIDGE Housing, the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the Housing Authority, and the longtime residents of Potrero Hill on their collaborative effort to strengthen this community. We are proud to be a partner,” said Senior Vice President for Wells Fargo’s Community Lending and Investment, Daniel Perl.