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New plans for 446 homes near Ocean Beach emerge after 50-story tower idea flops

A modern high-rise building with green terraces overlooks a street lined with smaller residential buildings. The scene is set under a clear, sunset-lit sky.
Renderings show a complex proposed for 2700 Sloat Blvd., blocks from Ocean Beach. Nearly half the units would be below market rate. | Source: SCB

Developers are planning a mixed-use residential complex in San Francisco’s Outer Sunset, new planning documents show.

If approved, a pair of towers with a total of 446 units — 94 studios, 173 one-bedroom, 120 two-bedroom, and 59 three-bedroom apartments — will be built at 2700 Sloat Blvd.

According to the documents, 207 of the planned units would be below-market-rate homes for seniors. These units would be for sale at prices affordable to households earning 80% or less than the area’s median income: $83,900 for a one-person household and $95,900 for a two-person household.

The towers are being co-developed by Housing America Partners and the San Francisco Housing Development Corporation, according to the project application. The architecture firm is Solomon Cordwell Buenz.

SCB principal Strachan Forgan told The Standard the towers will have varying heights because the site is sloped. The eastern tower will have 22 stories, while the western will have 24.

The image depicts a cluster of modern, high-rise buildings with rooftop gardens near a coastline. Surrounding the buildings are trees, roads, and a beach with waves.
The two towers will have studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. | Source: SCB

The prior owner, Reno-based CH Planning LLC, submitted plans in April 2023 for a 50-story tower at the site, currently home to a Sloat Garden Center, but the project was scrapped amid community backlash. CH Planning LLC sold the land to Housing America Partners, according to the San Francisco Business Times, which first reported the new proposal.

CH Planning manager Raelynn Hickey, who with husband John Hickey had pitched the 50-story tower, did not respond to a request for comment.

John Hickey was indicted in 1997 over a Ponzi scheme to develop land in Napa and Sonoma counties. Hickey and a co-conspirator bilked more than 700 investors out of roughly $20 million, according to court records. Some of the money went to pay off early investors; some went to personal use. Hickey spent 15 years ensnared in civil and criminal investigations and was eventually sentenced to 97 months in prison.

The property’s new developers are seeking authorization to provide 20% of the project’s units as intermediate-length occupancy units, meant for stays between 30 days and one year. This use is common for corporate apartments, although affordable units are prohibited from being ILOs.

Housing America Partners previously said it planned to build an eight-story, 100% affordable housing project at the site, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in May.

A modern, multi-story building with large glass windows and greenery on balconies stands near smaller buildings, surrounded by a lush park and a busy street.
The development will have a two-level basement garage with 55 public parking spaces and 217 bicycle parking spaces. | Source: SCB

Beyond residential space, the project includes street-level retail. The development will have a two-level basement garage with 55 public parking spaces, including three dedicated car-share spots, and 217 bicycle parking spaces.

The developers would also widen sidewalks, install street trees, and implement landscaping and lighting upgrades along all four sides of the site.