Stanton said in an email that the project is in the very early stages of review and there “is a high likelihood that it will not proceed beyond this initial stage of investigation with the City.”

If the project does proceed, it would cost an estimated $10 million and include an “adaptive re-use” of the building — preserving the façade and creating a new portion of the building set back from the street behind the façade. The hotel would include 105 rooms, a basement with guest amenities and a publicly accessible rooftop.

According to documents in the planning department, 224 Townsend had a change of use from industrial space to a parking garage in 2009. It is now owned by Ares Commercial Properties, but the application for the re-use says that Stonebridge is under contract to purchase the property.

The proposal is the latest hotel project in San Francisco’s bustling SoMa district. Stanton Architecture has finished a slew of projects in the area, including Hotel Zetta. Recently, a Hampton In at 942 Mission St. designed by Stanton completed construction, and Stanton is working on a 134-room hotel at 144 King St.

While industry experts say new hotels are difficult to build, due to the high costs, lengthy construction timeframes and cyclical market in San Francisco, interest in new hotel projects has increased in the city as demand for hotel rooms far outstrips supply.