Organized Labor

New Tower Proposed for Cathedral Hill

The developer Adco Group has proposed a new 38-story building for Cathedral Hill at 1481 Post Street, adjacent to the Cathedral Hill Plaza. The proposed design is a glass-walled, slender oval and would be angled to point towards the front doors of St. Mary's Cathrdral. The $230 million 407-foot tower is being designed by the San Francisco-based architectural firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM). Linda Corso, general manager of Cathedral Hill Plaza and Senior Vice President of San Francisco Mart, outlined the components of the project at the SFBCTC Business Agents meeting Aug. 14. Corso said that the development would include 6,000 square feet of retail space, a 5,000-square-foot cultural and educational center, 300 condominium units and a fitness center. Architect Mark Putnam told the SFBCTC that the existing 169-unit rental property would remain, with the parking facility moved to below grade. The new tower would include 35 floors of residential units. The first two floors will be a glass-clad base with the retail and community/educational facilities, with the curved white glass structure towering above. "This is a great project for the area," Putnam said. He noted that the structure would be taller than other buildings in the area and that there was some opposition from neighborhood groups who also oppose the new California Pacific Medical Center hospital development at the eastern edge of the neighborhood. Current zoning laws limit construction to 240 feet. Adco filed an application for environmental evaluation with the Planning Department in March. The developer owns 1.3 million square feet of commercial space in the City. Adco developed the Normandy Apartments on Ellis Street and Museum Parc at 300 Third St., and owns San Francisco Mart and Convention Plaza. Corso said that the project would "absolutely be all-union" and that her firm would insist on having union contractors for the job. Corso said there would also continue to be some work revamping San Francisco Mart, including electrical, plumbing and mechanical upgrades. "We've got a lot of jobs coming up and they will all be union," she said.

 

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