The long-awaited 1,100-unit Balboa Reservoir redevelopment project is set to break ground, the San Francisco Chronicle's J.K. Dineen ace real estate reporter revealed Tuesday.
BRIDGE Housing, one of a group of developers awarded the project by City Hall, will start construction on its $80 million “Building E” this spring. The seven-story, 128-unit, 100% affordable housing development will be followed six months later with “Building A.”
"The Balboa Reservoir development is an exciting project envisioned to bring much-needed affordable housing along with meaningful resident services and amenities to the Ingleside community," BRIDGE Housing's spokesperson told The Ingleside Light. "This is a complex project, and important details still remain to be addressed and finalized. We are eager to continue working with our many partners in order to make this vision a reality."
Building A, which architect firm BAR Architects & Interiors met with the community about back in October 2024 to discuss. It will consist of six stories of 159 affordable units of family housing, with roughly 50% being two to three bedrooms.
“We are eager to see that the project is moving forward,” Jen Low, legislative aide to District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar, told The Ingleside Light.
Low also said that the team behind the project is going before the Planning Commission next Thursday at the body’s regularly scheduled meeting.
The Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development told The Ingleside Light that BRIDGE Housing will be requesting final gap financing this spring and will "break ground soon after."
MOHCD anticipates Building A will apply "for tax credits this year. Construction start dates are dependent on financing availability but may start as early as Winter 2026," a spokesperson said.
The construction will coincide with City College of San Francisco’s construction of new facilities on its part of the reservoir. The college recently completed a multi-disciplinary building and it is expected to get approval soon for a performing arts center named for artist Diego Rivera. What’s more, the college is also exploring building a parking garage.
The college is building a huge gateway building at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Frida Kahlo Way that will serve as a one-stop shop. It’s expected to be completed at the end of the spring.
Update: This article was updated to include information from MOHCD and BRIDGE Housing.
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
