Two research and development buildings, eight- and 10-stories each, aim to be the gateway of South San Francisco’s biotech hub on the east side of Highway 101.
Ensuring the project is connected to the community, aligns with the city’s general plan and isn’t affected by the simultaneous construction site at 121 E. Grand Ave. nearby were some of the concerns discussed during a South San Francisco Planning Commission meeting for the development at 100 E. Grand Ave. and Sylvester Road, the current site of a warehouse. A 17-story tower with lab, office and retail space is planned for 121 E. Grand Ave., current site of Comfort Inn and east of the train station.
The development, led by Alexandria Grand, proposed the design of two buildings inspired by DNA strands of a double helix; the building’s design includes a variety of angles and creates a central courtyard accessible to the public that totals 541,284 square feet of office and research and development space.
The design firm Zimmer Gunsul Frasca proposed to turn Sylvester Road into a pedestrian corridor that will connect to the Caltrain Station and a tunnel connection that will lead to Grand Avenue.
“We are enhancing the connectivity and the gateway qualities of this site,” said Braulio Baptisa, a representative for ZGF who aims project to build on the pedestrian connectivity to the downtown community.
Aligning with the city’s general plan and considering the proximity to the Caltrain Station, the developers proposed an eight-story parking garage with 780 spaces, a ratio of 1.44 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of office space. The proposal is a reduction from the current zoning requirements of two parking spaces per 1,000 square feet.
Some of the landscaping and design and open space features include a garden, meandering pedestrian paths, seating areas, recreational elements, plantings and a water feature to reduce freeway noise, according to the report.
Planning Commission Chair Michele Evans said her only concern is monitoring traffic during construction.
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“It’s aspirational and you want to make sure that you can deliver so again you go back to the partnership with the city and the other developers and yourself [Alexandria Grand] and you just want to kind of keep an eye on that to make sure that comes to fruition,” said Evans.
The unanimously approved project will be the second research and development building approved this year near the Caltrain Station.
Under the new requirements of the city’s general plan, the maximum amount of parking spaces allowed would be 812. Additionally, the campus will provide 23 short-term bike racks and 132 long-term bike parking spaces for employees and visitors, according to the report.
Some of the project benefits include improving pedestrian and bike infrastructure and access throughout the site and surroundings.
And the impact fees would include $817,000 for child care; $18.9 million for citywide transportation; $9.4 million for commercial linkage; $1 million for public safety impact; $75,000 for libraries and a public art requirement of either on-site or contribution of .5% of construction costs.
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