UPDATE: The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has just announced significant cutbacks to a groundbreaking affordable housing and transit project due to a staggering $300 million budget deficit. This decision comes as a major disappointment for city officials and residents alike, who hoped to see enhanced public transit facilities alongside much-needed affordable housing.
The ambitious project aimed to transform the old Potrero bus yard, established in 1915, into a modern transit hub with up to 575 units of affordable housing built above it. However, with rising financial pressures, SFMTA is now scaling back drastically, limiting the housing component to just 100 units to be constructed next to the bus yard, not above it.
Muni’s Chief Mechanical Officer, Michael Henry, expressed frustration over the missed opportunity for modernization. “With a new facility, we could lift vehicles off the ground, allowing our employees to work safely and efficiently,” he explained, highlighting the need for improved conditions in the outdated maintenance facility.
The initial plan received approval from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors just a year ago, emphasizing the hope for a revolutionary joint public transit and housing development. Yet, the vision has unraveled as funding challenges mounted. Development partner Marc Babsin noted that while the concept was strong, the financial realities have forced a reevaluation. “We’re just not going to be able to deliver the same amount of projects with the same scope that we originally anticipated,” said Sean Kennedy, SFMTA’s Chief Planning and Delivery Officer.
The implications of this decision are profound. San Francisco is already grappling with a housing crisis, and this scaling back means the city will continue to fall short of state-mandated housing development goals. Supervisor Shamann Walton fought for commitments to affordable housing but acknowledged the costs proved prohibitive. “I think it’s a missed opportunity to kind of walk away from this,” he stated.
As of now, the Potrero Neighborhood Collective is set to finance the construction of the new bus yard, with SFMTA promising to repay costs over 30 years. However, doubts remain about whether this plan can be executed under the current budget constraints. Kennedy remarked, “That is one of the things we’ve been trying to get the number down,” indicating ongoing financial negotiations.
City advocates and residents are understandably disheartened. The prospect of a state-of-the-art transit facility with integrated housing has diminished to a fraction of its original promise. “Timing is everything,” Babsin concluded, highlighting the unfortunate reality that this vital project has lost its momentum.
As San Francisco continues to navigate these financial hurdles, the focus shifts to the construction of the new bus yard, which will serve as a crucial step in modernizing the city’s transit services. The community remains hopeful, but the path ahead is fraught with challenges as officials scramble to make the most of limited resources.
Stay tuned for further updates on the SFMTA’s efforts to address this ongoing crisis and the impact it will have on public transit and housing in San Francisco.
