The San Francisco Planning Commission is scheduled to review plans tonight for the massive Freedom West 2.0 master plan. The city has published the Draft Environmental Impact Report, which provides insight into the proposal to replace an existing affordable housing neighborhood with more than two thousand apartments, including replacement units for existing residents. MacFarlane Partners is the project applicant, working with Avanath Capital Management.
Full build-out will include 2,291 apartments, 68,600 square feet of retail, 14,800 square feet of cultural, institutional, or educational-zoned area, and a 150-key hotel. Unit sizes vary with 477 studios, 848 one-bedrooms, 824 two-bedrooms, 118 three-bedrooms, and 24 four-bedrooms. Parking will be included for 1,640 cars and 1,732 bicycles.
Freedom West 2.0 aerial overview, illustration by DLR Group
Freedom West aerial overview, rendering by DLR Group
Phase One is expected to start with five buildings containing 935 units and 37,900 square feet of commercial space. Phase Two will include six structures with 607 apartments and 20,600 square feet of commercial space. Phase Three will complete the redevelopment of Freedom West 2.0, delivering 749 apartments and a hotel across four buildings.
DLR Group is the project architect and master planner, with Kimley Horn as the civil engineer. Legacy First Partners is acting as the community representative. The plan includes 15 buildings of varying heights. Most structures are expected to rise 85 feet tall, three are between 165 and 225 feet tall, and the tallest could reach 335 feet. Initial renderings have been shared previously for 880 McAllister Street, the potential first addition to Freedom West 2.0.
880 McAllister Street, rendering by DLR Group
Freedom West streetscape, rendering by DLR Group
Freedom West 2.0, illustration by DLR Group
The original Freedom West project was sponsored by the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and designed by Krisel Shapiro & Associates. Reverend J. Austell Hall of Bethel A.M.E. Church is credited as the key figure behind the original Freedom West Co-op. According to the historic review from the Draft EIR, Hall “saw firsthand the eroding character of the Fillmore and the dwindling of its residents, and he understood the physical and cultural damage being caused by urban renewal.” He saw a potential community-led masterplanned co-op in the neighborhood as “a solution to his community ‘s dire need for affordable housing and economic equity through home ownership.”
Financing was provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the mid-century Urban Renewal movement. The existing Co-Op housing was constructed from 1973 to 1975. Demolition is expected for the ten apartment buildings, ten townhouse structures, and two multipurpose facilities. According to the draft EIR, the property is considered eligible for individual landmarking based on its connection with San Francisco’s mid-twentieth-century redevelopment and its association with Reverend Hall, though not because of any architectural merit. The project was explicitly inspired by the St. Francis Square co-op elsewhere in the Western Addition, which is considered a better architectural example.
Freedom West plaza with surrounding housing, rendering by DLR Group
Freedom West 2.0 pedestrian view, rendering courtesy project team
The 10.37-acre project site spans four blocks in the Western Addition neighborhood, a short walk away from Van Ness Avenue and City Hall.
Construction is expected to be split into three phases. The Draft EIR estimates that construction could start in November this year, though these documents often provide an early start date. If work starts this year, then phase one would finish by late 2029. Phase Two is expected to last 41 months, from January 2030 to May 2033, and Phase 3 is expected to last from mid-2030 to 2034.
Freedom West development parcels highlighted in white, via Google Satellite
The San Francisco Planning Commission is scheduled to review plans tomorrow, Thursday, February 12th, starting around noon. The event will occur in person and can be watched online. The city will continue to accept comments to inform the Final EIR through February 27th. For more information about how to attend and participate, visit the city website here.
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Avanath Capital Management Bethel AME Church DLR Group Freedom West Freedom West Co-Op Kimley Horn MacFarlane Partners