FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 8, 2015

Contact:

Mercy Housing: Barbara Schor

bschor@mercyhousing.org

916.612.4245 (cell)

916.330.3356 (work)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – On Wednesday, May 6, nearly one hundred guests, including city and county elected officials and other project funders, celebrated the official opening of Mercy Housing California’s newest Bay Area property, 1180 Fourth Street in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. Edwin M. Lee, Mayor of San Francisco, Jane Kim, Supervisor for San Francisco’s District 6 and others praised it as a much-needed boost to the City’s low-income housing stock, and called for creation of more. Mercy Housing of California President Doug Shoemaker also praised the strong public-private partnership of a cross-section of organizations as “what it takes” to create high-quality, successful affordable housing today. Funding partner Bank of America generously sponsored the 1180 Fourth Street Grand Opening / Dedication event.

 

1180 Fourth Street, a gateway to San Francisco’s Mission Bay South neighborhood at the corner of Fourth and Channel streets, is part of a fast-growing neighborhood that includes a new campus and medical center for the University of California, San Francisco. The 150-unit property provides critically needed affordable housing for low-income individuals and families, and includes 50 units for formerly homeless households.

According to project architect, Daniel Solomon of Mithun|Solomon, “The Mission Bay neighborhood has been roundly criticized as bland and over scaled, lacking the charm and complexity of the rest of the city. We responded to what people felt was a need for architectural zest and complexity, with a rich mid-block program for residents and children.” The architecture/design process for 1180 Fourth Street is by Mithun|Solomon, Kennerly Architecture, and Full Circle Architecture. The design was initiated under WRT Solomon E.T.C.

 

Three months before the project was set to open, a fire broke out at a construction site adjacent to 1180 Fourth Street. While that structure was completely razed, the San Francisco Fire Department created a wall of water that prevented the fire from destroying 1180 Fourth Street. At the May 6 event, first responders from the San Francisco Fire Department’s Engine 8 crew were recognized for their efforts. Due to them, the Mercy team, along with the contractor, architect, and service partners (Human Services Agency and Episcopal Community Services), ensured that all 149 families, including the 50 formerly homeless households, were able to move in to their new homes by the end of 2014.

1180 Fourth Street is a non-smoking, six-story community of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Common areas include two levels of courtyards and gardens, as well as a large community room with a kitchen, and space for supportive services. Two family day-care units also operate on site, serving children from the property and the greater community. Other features and amenities include computer and exercise rooms, two central laundry facilities, and close proximity to nearby public transportation. Ten thousand square feet of neighborhood-serving retail occupies a portion of the ground floor. Green strategies include solar hot water, low-energy hydronic heating, no- or low-VOC products, and Energy Star appliances. Low maintenance, long lasting finishes were used, which will reduce waste by minimizing the need for replacements. The building’s central urban location has convenient access to transit, which lowers the carbon footprint of all tenants who commute from the building. The project has a Green Point Rating certification of 127.

 

The May 6 event included the following speakers:

• Edwin M. Lee, Mayor of San Francisco
• Jane Kim, Supervisor for District 6, City and County of San Francisco
• Tiffany Bohee, Executive Director of the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, Successor to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency
• Gabriel Speyer, Vice President, Senior Client Manager, Community Development Banking with Bank of America Merrill Lynch
• Christine Carr, Founder, Community Development Finance Group with Silicon Valley Bank
• Eugene Lee, Section Chief, Infill Infrastructure Grant and Transit Oriented Development Programs with the California Department of Housing and Community Development
• Mary Kaiser, Senior Vice President, California Community Reinvestment Corporation
• Ken Reggio, Executive Director of Episcopal Community Services
• Mico Williams, 1180 Fourth Street Resident

 

Mercy Housing’s 1180 Fourth Street was financed utilizing:

• California Department of Housing and Community Development’s Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Program;
• Funding from the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, successor to the former San Francisco Redevelopment Agency;
• 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credit Equity from Bank of America;
• California Debt Limit Allocation Committee;
• California Tax Credit Allocation Committee;
• Bank of America and Silicon Valley Bank conventional construction loan; and
• A permanent loan financed through the California Community Reinvestment Corporation (CCRC).

SERVICE PARTNERS:

• Episcopal Community Services (ECS)
• Mercy Housing California

1180 Fourth Street DEVELOPMENT TEAM: 

• Developer: Mercy Housing California
• General Contractor: James E. Roberts – Obayashi Corp.
• Architects: Mithun|Solomon, Kennerly Architecture & Planning, and Full Circle Architecture
• Structural Engineers: Tipping Mar + Associates
• Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineers: Ajmani & Pamidi, Inc.
• Acoustical Engineers: Mei Wu Acoustics
• Civil Engineers: Urban Design Consulting Engineers
• Landscape Architects: GLS Landscape|Architecture
• Property Management: Mercy Housing Management Group

About Mercy Housing

Mercy Housing California (MHC) is the largest regional division of national nonprofit Mercy Housing, Inc. (MHI), a developer of permanent affordable housing and the largest nonprofit affordable housing owner in the country. MHI’s mission is to create stable, vibrant, and healthy communities by developing, financing and operating affordable, program-enriched housing for families, seniors and people with special needs who lack the economic resources to access quality, safe housing opportunities.

Statewide, Mercy Housing California has developed more than 130 rental properties across 36 counties. Through the provision of safe, service-enriched housing, MHC strives to strengthen families and build healthy communities. For more information, please visit www.mercyhousingcalifornia.org.

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