While talks of a far-fetched 50-story skyscraper have become a lightning rod for the debate over new multifamily housing in the Sunset District, a collection of more modest housing developments is starting to edge closer to reality a short distance away from Ocean Beach.
Last week, owners of the Alliance gas station located at 1200 La Playa St. across the street from Golden Gate Park submitted a preliminary application to San Francisco’s Planning Department pitching a variety of options to turn the site into housing.
The Bozorghadad family, who own and operate multiple gas stations across the Bay Area, is asking for guidance on moving forward with developing either a four-story building with 10 units, a six-story mid-rise with 30 units, or 12 townhomes on the site.
Each proposal included its specific floor plan drawings of the design layout but did not include any depictions of what the exterior of the buildings would look like.
In their application, the Bozorghadad family is seeking to clarify how many units they would have to set aside as affordable housing to qualify for the amount of density that they want to build.
Sam Kwong, the owner of San Francisco-based Arcus Architecture + Planning, is listed as a representative for the development effort. Neither party responded to a request for comment on the plans.
The site of the gas station was purchased by the family in 2010 for $750,000, according to property records.
The iconic Murphy Windmill located in the southwest corner of Golden Gate Park is visible from the property.
The site is also directly across the street from 1234 Great Highway, a Motel 6 that the city acquired last summer to turn into affordable homes for seniors.
Less than a mile away, developer MidPen Housing broke ground on its affordable housing project for teachers in 2022. Located at 1360 43rd Ave., construction on that project is expected to be completed by fall.