If you’re mourning the loss of San Francisco icons Thee Parkside and Bottom of the Hill, I have some news that should help a bit: Construction kicked off this week on a 94-unit affordable housing project exclusively for artists, as reported by J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle.
The site is located at 1687 Market in the former McRoskey Mattress building, where Hayes Valley and SoMa converge. There will be studio, one- and two-bedroom rentals for artists making between 30% and 80% of area median income—a range of about $37,000 to $100,000 for a two-person household.
Amenities will include a fitness room, community room with kitchen, landscaped roof deck and secure bike parking. Additionally, there will be theater and rehearsal spaces that will be available for artist groups to rent at affordable rates.
The $140 million project was spearheaded by SFJAZZ Center founder Randall Kline. His nonprofit start-up, Artists Hub on Market, partnered with Mercy Housing to make it all happen, and the project is backed predominantly by a $100 million anonymous donation. (No city funding is involved.)
This is the first affordable housing project for artists in San Francisco, and let’s hope it’s not the last.
[Rendering of 1687 Market courtesy of Artists Hub/Mercy Housing.]