materials from warehouses and manufacturing facilities to and Showplace Square, from the piers. However, after World War II and as port facilities changed worldwide, the Port of San Francisco became Potrero Hill and less competitive and maritime activity declined substantially. Central Waterfront Since the renovation of the warehouses to provide furniture showroom space, Showplace Square has provided space for a Showplace Square, Potrero Hill and the Central Waterfront are well-defined cluster of furniture makers, designers and contrac- grouped into one district for the purpose of this report. However, tors. The current land use in the area remains predominantly each area is a distinct neighborhood characterized by very PDR. (Figure 6.3.5) different uses and development pressures. Each neighborhood has a distinct scale, population and types of business. Addition- Until the 1970s, Jackson Square, a historic district just north of ally, the neighborhoods are going through separate planning the downtown, was the primary location for the City's furniture processes at this time. Central Waterfront is currently in the showrooms. Many of these businesses were housed in historic Better Neighborhoods 2002 planning process. It is being consid- structures with small footprints and limited net floor area. As the ered with Showplace Square and Potrero Hill in this report in Jackson Square commercial vacancy rates dropped and rents order to provide a comprehensive picture of the entire Commu- nity Plan Area. The South of Market and Mission Bay bound these neighbor- L A 0 N 7 T G H T O hoods on the North and Northeast, San Francisco Bay bounds N N A them on the East, Islais Creek and the Bayshore bound them on N 0 N 8 A T R H B the South and the Mission District bounds them on the West. SHOWPLACE SQ. U R T H A H Highway 101 and Highway 280 also divide this area. Highway O 15TH D E I 0 S 8 T L H A 101 isolates Potrero Hill from the Mission District to west and 16TH N D C O C N A 7TH N 1 R E O Highway 280 separates Potrero Hill from the Central Waterfront. C L T I I N C T A U PO SA E MA RI T X A S I N D I 18TH A N A POTRERO 19TH T P E M E N 20TH I N S N N S E S A O S Y S R U Showplace Square: L CENTRAL E K R V E A 21ST I A N N S WATERFRONT I A A S K 22ND A N I D L Furniture and Design S L E W A I N S H I S O A C I R S O O N S 23RD 0 I 3 N R Center D M I C S H A I G N A B N R Community Plan Area Profiles - Showplace Square, Potrero Hill and Central Waterfront U N 25TH O Showplace Square centers on the northern edge of this planning CE SA R CH AVE Z area starting at Bryant and extending to 17th and 18th Streets. MA RIN This neighborhood is an important furniture and interior design center that serves a national market. It was originally developed as a warehouse and industrial district serving nearby port facili- ties, once one of the City's important industries. A system of rail Figure 6.3.1 Showplace Square, Potrero Hill and Central Waterfront Boundaries spur lines was developed along public rights-of-way to transfer 86 Profiles of Community Planning Areas: San Francisco’s Eastern Neighborhoods Community Plan Area Profiles - Showplace Square, Potrero Hill and Central Waterfront 0 7 T H T N A Y R B 0 BAKER AND HAMILTON 8 T H $BUILDING ALAMEDA 15TH k 17TH æ V OSA MAR IP E $ R Landmarks M R æ O æ H N æ Freeway T O æææææ D ÆP E æ k kk 9TH Bikepath 1 I S ææ L æ M Muni Route A N I k k S D 20TH S m HISTORIC I Topography S PO LICE STATION POTERO HIL L S I Streets P I M SCOTT NEIGHBORHOOD HOU SE P SCHOOL SIERR A I $k Parks ÆP æ $kk T K E U æ A 2ND æ 2 N T N N A S UMBOLDT E H H A S S THE KERRIGA N S I Church $ L E æ HOUSE L $ E I ÆP N POTRERO 3RD O 3RD 2 PO WE R PL ANT 2 I Hospital 23RD S ÆP T E M P CORAL X O I A æ C T 24TH S H k School R k I E 25TH G R A O æ æ N Theater 25TH #37 ENGINE, æ æ $ 6TH ÚÊ k #9 TRUCK FIREHOUSE 26TH 2 PIER 80 26TH CONTAINER TERMIN m Fire Station CESAR CH AVEZ $ MAR IN 3D R STREET BRIDGE $ Figure 6.3.2 Showplace Square, Potrero Hill and Central Waterfront Community Facilities Map Profiles of Community Planning Areas: San Francisco’s Eastern Neighborhoods 87 increased, the area began to attract high-end firms such as Office and home furniture showrooms, re-upholstery shops, retail antique dealers and interior decorators. Many furniture show- stores and small shops occupy the Showplace Square area. rooms and other design businesses were subsequently priced out There are a total of 120 furniture businesses in Showplace of the market. Square. The largest building located at 2 Henry Adams Street houses 28 furniture businesses and showrooms. The furniture sector provides middle-income jobs in Showplace Square, em- ploying over 825 people. McGuire Furniture, the largest employer in the furniture industry in San Francisco, alone employs approxi- mately 165 people. Henry Adams, a real estate developer and promoter, looked for another area in the City which shared Jackson Square's architec- tural character and could accommodate a new center for furni- ture showrooms and related businesses. The Showplace Square was a good choice because of the large attractive brick struc- tures with open floor plans. This type of building is ideal for PDR Community Plan Area Profiles - Showplace Square, Potrero Hill and Central Waterfront uses, such as furniture showrooms that typically need large interior spaces. Large floor plates also accommodate frequent change and subdivision of interior areas to create various show- Figure 6.3.3 Furniture Showrooms in Showplace Square room sizes. Showplace Square has become one of the nation's most successful centers for home and office furnishings, interior designers and furniture makers. 88 Profiles of Community Planning Areas: San Francisco’s Eastern Neighborhoods Community Plan Area Profiles - Showplace Square, Potrero Hill and Central Waterfront Recent Live/Work and The Showplace Square sub area which is property north of 16th Street is primarily classified as an M-2 (Heavy Industrial) District Office Development and M-1 (light industrial). These districts have a 50-foot Height and Bulk Limit. (Figure 6.3.6) Several parcels in the northern Recently live/work, as well as other residential and office part of Showplace Square are classified as SLI (Service Light projects, have been approved and are being constructed in and Industry) District uses. Industrially classified land generally has near Showplace Square. An apartment building with 148 units the most permissive zoning, permitting a broad range of land has been approved for development and several live/work uses. These zoning regulations have permitted lower intensity projects have already been constructed in the vicinity. Addition- projects to be built in the area, including office and live/work. ally, office space has been approved and recently constructed Some of these projects have been incompatible with adjacent throughout the area, including 50,000 square feet of office space PDR and other industrial uses. Several attempts have been near the border of SOMA. made to provide more appropriate industrial zoning, including Interim Controls proposed by the Planning Department and by Office and residential development may change the industrial Supervisor Maxwell. character of the area and threaten the integrity of the furniture design cluster. As parcels are broken up and smaller buildings are constructed, PDR uses can no longer easily return to use the space. Moreover, residential and office projects require intensive infrastructure improvements. Recently, Potrero Hill has also felt some of the development pressure that is extending from SoMa and Showplace Square. Two large office projects in the northern area of Potrero (350 and 450 Rhode Island) are under construction and live/work lofts have already been built throughout the area. Potrero Hill is even less transit-accessible than SoMa, where the concern about lack of transit coupled with the increasing office development is acute. Potrero Hill: A Stable Residential Neighborhood Potrero Hill is primarily a residential neighborhood with small retail and commercial businesses located throughout the neigh- borhood. The area is isolated from the Central Waterfront to the east by Highway 280 and from the Mission District to the west by Highway 101. As its name suggests, Potrero is situated on one of the City's many hills. It has spectacular views of Downtown, Twin Peaks, Bayview Hill, Mt. San Bruno, the Bay and the East Bay Hills. Profiles of Community Planning Areas: San Francisco’s Eastern Neighborhoods 89 MA SSA CHUSETTS 2 DELAWARE 4 0 # D MARYLAND E UNNAMED #043 M A N LOUISB URG T N U D L R O G EO GIA Z B E M V H U A MICHIGA N MICHIGA N T H N 6 I H 2 C R A ILLINOIS R M A S H E T H C 5 03RD T 2 4 2 TENNES SEE Map D N S I H B N R M T MINNESOTA T INNESO A B 2 A 6 2 Use U 2 Use M T D IN N R DIA A N 3 0 N O 2 I-28 I-28 N OFF 0 D N U O B H T R O N 0 8 2 - I ND IOW A UTHBO U O N O N 0 S S S 0 8 Land O 8 I 2 0 - - I-28 2 I Residential Mixed/Residential Cultural/Inst./Edu.