F
orma Development Design & Management plans to build a 26-story, 36-unit apartment highrise on Sutter Street in San Francisco's Lower Nob Hill. The developer will use Senate Bill 423, which fast-tracks approval for homes in cities that have fallen behind on state-mandated housing goals. San Francisco must accommodate 82,069 homes by 2031, with nearly 47,000 being affordable.

    The proposed tower would stand at 240 feet, dwarfing the 80-foot-tall buildings along the block. The site is a vacant lot where the former Fleur de Lys restaurant once stood. Six units will be set aside for affordable housing, and the top floors will feature five-bedroom apartments designed to accommodate large households.

    Project manager Roxana Macovei said the building's design aims to provide suitable spaces for diverse households who struggle to find them. However, Planning Commissioner Kathrin Moore expressed disappointment that the project doesn't address the city's actual housing challenges and could easily fit 40 units in an eight-story building.

    Because SB 423 allows ministerial approval, the project cannot be killed or altered by city planners, commissioners, or supervisors. Neighbors have raised concerns about the building's height and luxurious unit size, while labor groups and housing advocates support the project as a necessary response to San Francisco's housing shortage.