1654 Sunnydale Ave(Planning, Design or Conception) – San Francisco – 94134
1654 Sunnydale Ave(Planning, Design or Conception) – San Francisco – 94134
1654 Sunnydale Ave San Francisco, CA 94134, USA
Mercy Housing California (MHC) and The Related Companies of California (RCC) are
seeking proposals for an Environmental Consultant for the Mercy/Related HOPE SF
development at the Sunnydale-Velasco public housing site in the Visitacion Valley
neighborhood of San Francisco.
Local Business Enterprises (LBEs) certified by the San Francisco Human Rights
Commission (HRC) are strongly encouraged to submit qualifications in response to this
RFP. Certified LBEs are eligible for Ratings Bonus per Attachment 2, Part II, 2.01 B.
MHC and RCC are working together as co-developers and co-owners in the master
planning, predevelopment, financing, construction, operation and provision of social
services for the development of this 50 acre site. While the master plan is to be
developed in the next 6 months, it is anticipated that approximately 1,500 units will be
constructed at the site in several phases over an 8-10 year period. The existing 785
public housing units will be demolished and rebuilt, along with new affordable and
market rate housing. The housing types and mix are to be determined through a
community master planning process and financial feasibility analysis. The team will also
develop a to-be-determined amount of community and social service space, public street
improvements, open space and potentially retail spaces.
MHC and RCC have formed Sunnydale Development Co., LLC, a Limited Liability
Company (LLC) to execute consultant and other agreements for this development. The
environmental consultant will contract directly with the LLC.
Local Map
Description of Site and Development
The site is approximately 50 acres in size and is located at 1654 Sunnydale Avenue,
bound by MacLaren Park on the north, Hahn Street on the east, Velasco Avenue on the
south and SF Unified School District property and Brookdale Avenue on the west. The
Google aerial map is attached as Exhibit A as a pdf to this RFP.
The vision for the new development is to create a socially and economically integrated
community knit by programs and services and by physical architecture and spaces. The
existing barrack style public housing structures will be demolished and new housing units
will be constructed in a one for one replacement count in a configuration to be
determined. New housing units will also be constructed with the mix, types and
configuration to be determined. The urban design plan of the new housing, community
amenities, streets, utilities, open space and landscaping will be determined through a
community-based master plan process.
The development team consists of:
Developer: Mercy Housing California
Developer: The Related Companies of California
Master plan architect: Van Meter Williams Pollack (VMWP)
Civil Engineer: KPFF
Landscape Architect: Merrill Morris Partners with SWA
Green infrastructure consultant: SvR
Geotechnical Engineer: ENGEO, Inc.
The Mayor’s Office of Housing is coordinating the City agencies that will be
instrumental in the master plan, development and construction phases, such as the
Planning Department and Department of Public Works. The San Francisco Housing
Authority is also involved in reviewing issues and plans and assisting the development team.
What It Is Today
San Francisco’s largest public housing site, Sunnydale-Velasco (“Sunnydale”), sits in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood, at the foot of McLaren Park, San Francisco’s second largest park. The 50-acre, 785-unit site is home to more than 1,700 ethnically diverse people. Sunnydale is served by busses and the T light rail line, with direct connection to downtown San Francisco. Sunnydale has all the components of a classic San Francisco neighborhood. Unfortunately, due to changes in the economy and available resources, many families are struggling to make ends meet. HOPE SF will bring new economic opportunities to the community.
What It Will Be
Mercy Housing California and Related California organized a community planning process to develop the master plan for the new mixed income development at the Sunnydale site. Held at Sunnydale and in the wider community, the planning meetings are conducted in four languages and involve residents young and old.
Key themes that have emerged from the community planning process is that the new development should
• Support youth, elders, and families through quality programs, facilities, and parks;
• Provide ways to build community and end the social and physical isolation of the site from the rest of the neighborhood; and
• Be a great place to live and visit.
The Master Plan consists of:
• 785 units of replacement housing, plus another 900 units of tax-credit affordable and market-rate units that are integrated in new residential buildings throughout the site.
• A “hub” of activity for the Visitacion Valley community, with a new recreational and educational center, new parks, a community garden, farmer’s market, neighborhood-serving retail, and other community services.
• New streets and blocks that are pedestrian oriented, reflect the neighborhood’s scale, and are lush with edible landscaping and rainwater retention bioswales.
The Master Plan outlines the physical ways in which Sunnydale will be developed into a new place that addresses the key themes expressed by the community.
How We Will Get There
Improving the lives of the current residents is the reason HOPE SF exists. HOPE SF is working together with residents to make sure that the initiative is more than bricks and mortar; it is an opportunity for residents to improve their lives.
Concurrent with the master planning process, the Mercy/Related HOPE SF Community Building Team conducted interviews of community-based organizations in the neighborhood and door-to-door interviews of each of the 785 households to learn from residents the types of programs, services, and activities that would best meet their needs. In the upcoming year, Service Connectors from the YMCA will work directly with residents on site.
The Sunnydale Service Connectors are dedicated staff, working on-site to: build trusting relationships, do home visits, give support, make referrals to self-identified services that help residents meet their goals, and assist with navigating challenges or barriers to accessing resources. Service Connectors also inform residents of services and opportunities that support family functioning and well-being, including child care, after school programs, employment resources, holistic and health care, vocational and educational resources, and family advocacy and support.
In addition, they provide proactive information, referrals, and linkage to services to ensure access to all city-wide resources and services. This includes a direct linkage to the Bayview Family Resource Center, a program of the Bayview YMCA. The Family Resource Center provides family support and empowerment services and is a hub of information and connections for those with higher levels of need for services and/or families at risk for child abuse and neglect. They use a strengths-based and family-centered model to focus on the context in which the family lives and on issues of resiliency. The Sunnydale Service Connectors are committed to this family-centered approach to look holistically at the issues facing a family.
Services provided by Bayview YMCA – Family Resource Center and Services are designed to strengthen the ability of parents to care for themselves and their children by promoting self accountability and resiliency, enhancing parental competencies, and improving family functioning. These include:
Case Management
Family Advocacy
Crisis Intervention
Women’s Healing Circle
Mental health Counseling
Fatherhood Supportive Services
Substance Abuse Support Group
Certified Parent Education
Domestic Violence Services (Victim Services)
Health and Wellness Activities
The Development Team
The revitalization of Sunnydale will occur through a public-private partnership led by the Mayor’s Office of Housing and the San Francisco Housing Authority. The Development Team, responsible for managing the day-to-day work and resident involvement, was selected through a competitive application process.
Mercy Housing California (MHC)
MHC is a not-for-profit housing development corporation with the mission of creating and strengthening healthy communities through quality service-enriched housing for economically poor people and families. MHC developed, manages and owns four family and senior properties in Visitacion Valley: Britton Courts, Heritage Homes, John King Senior Community, and Carter Terrace and has also developed three community serving facilities in the neighborhood. Mercy Housing is one of the top not-for-profit developers of program-enriched housing in the country.
The Related Companies of California
The Related Companies of California is an industry leader with expertise in virtually every aspect of development and a commitment to continue to break new ground and reshape the industry. Related’s diverse developments span from luxury condominiums and rental residences to award-winning apartments for low- and moderate-income seniors and families. Related is one of the most active developers of residential and commercial properties in California and has successfully developed three master-planned, mixed-income communities in California.
DESCRIPTION
The Sunnydale community, originally built as a visionary housing solution for wartime ship builders, is now a dilapidated assembly of disconnected buildings. Its leftover spaces are difficult to police and difficult to access. The new Sunnydale will be redeveloped incrementally to create a network of streets that connect with the surrounding neighborhood; create a variety of housing types for a mix of incomes and provide carefully scaled park spaces and recreational opportunities lined with public facilities. Principles of sustainable “green” development for the neighborhood and greater community will be integral to this transformation.
VISION
Redesign Sunnydale into a mix of uses typical of other San Francisco neighborhoods, including housing, services, community facilities, open space, and neighborhood-serving retail.
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
To replace all existing public housing units with minimal displacement and to reintegrate the community to the greater neighborhood.
Conditionally Approved LEED ND Gold Plan
VMWP’s Sunnydale HOPE SF Master Plan application for LEED ND Stage 1 certification has been submitted and approved by the US Green Building Certification Institute. It is the first United States project to receive conditional approval at the LEED Gold level, one of three major checkpoints on the path to certification as a LEED for Neighborhood Development project and one of the first three submitted in the world.
The LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for neighborhood design. LEED for Neighborhood Development is a collaboration among USGBC, Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
LEED-ND certification provides independent, third-party verification that a development’s location and design meet accepted high levels of environmentally responsible, sustainable development.
Design Features
Replacement of Housing Authority units plus added for sale & for rent affordable units
Reintegration into surrounding community
Provide a range of community services including retail, recreational and supportive
Private outdoor space for units
“We are thrilled to have achieved Stage 1 Gold for the Conceptual Plan LEED ND Gold certification on Sunnydale’s Master Plan. In their hands-on approach as Master Plan Architect, VMWP’s knowledge, flexibility, perseverance and passion all played an instrumental role in this successful outcome. As both urban designers and architects, they were able to adeptly coordinate and facilitate all the stakeholders of this intricate project, from various city agencies to the consultant team and most importantly to the community via an extensive hands on community outreach process. From start to finish they were an invaluable partner and we couldn’t be more pleased with the collaboration.”
Ramie Dare
Project Manager
Mercy Housing
