Fed-Up Pastor Sells Church to Condo Developer
From the October issue of the Noe Valley Voice,
A long and often prickly relationship between the Church at San Francisco and its Noe Valley neighbors appears to be coming to a righteous ending.Owners of the royal-blue house of worship at the corner of Church and 28th streets are in contract to sell the building to a prominent Oakland-based builder, who wants to erect a mid-rise condominium development on the site.
“We have a deal,” says Rev. Joesiah Bell, pastor of the non-denominational church, which last spring had launched efforts to establish a temporary sanctuary for homeless women. “We’ve decided to go where people want to see other people being helped.”
Late last month, the developer, J. Branch Development Inc., submitted architectural plans to the city for a four-story, mixed-use complex. The proposal calls for three two-bedroom flats and three two-bedroom townhouses, ground-floor retail space, and a nine-space parking garage.
The condos would carry market-rate price tags. However, one of the six units would be sold to a working-class buyer at less than full price, according to James Branch, who heads the development firm. The reduced cost, which he says has run from 15 to 25 percent at his other developments, is a contribution the firm makes to the community.
“We typically provide a unit at less than market rate,” says Branch. “We call it ‘workforce housing,’ and we find deserving candidates who would benefit from that lower price point.” [more...]
Fed-Up Pastor Sells Church to Condo Developer [Noe Valley Voice]
Significant chunk of unbuilt land in Noe Valley seeks permit [SFHomeBlog]
Developer Throws in the Towel on 39 Chattanooga Street [SFHomeBlog]
