Showplace / SoMa Neighborhood Analysis and Coordination Study (SNACS)

The 2009 Showplace Square/Potrero Area Plan sought to stabilize and reserve sufficient space for PDR businesses in the area while providing space for housing and other uses. Since 2012, the demand for housing and office, combined with the need for modern production and biotech spaces, has increased pressure on the area. The Central SoMa Plan, Mission Bay, Mission Rock, and additional growth along the waterfront will accommodate some of this demand. Opportunities on the Recology site at 900 7th Street and others near the Railyards could provide housing as well.

Transportation planning is also positioning the area for significant change. The planned Downtown Rail Extension (DTX), future 4th/Townsend rail station, and a proposed Pennsylvania Avenue Extension could place a significant amount of rail infrastructure underground, while growing the neighborhood’s role as a regional transit-oriented destination. The Central Subway will soon link the area directly to downtown with underground Muni metro service, and the first phase of the 16th Street Improvement Project is scheduled for 2020.

These projects and plans are positioning the Showplace/SoMa area for long-term change. This Study will identify strategies to coordinate them and create a cohesive urban design where they meet. Building on existing neighborhood planning goals, the SNACS will also explore policy and planning code updates in order to increase housing, PDR jobs and public space access.