With Lawsuit Blocked, Forest City Expects To Begin Construction on 5M in 2018
Forest City’s 5M could break ground as early as next year now that the San Francisco Superior Court rejected a lawsuit against the project in Central SoMa. The court blocked the case from moving forward unless an appeal is filed over the next 60 days, reports the San Francisco Business Times.
The project, which was approved in November 2015, would become one of the largest mixed-use developments in the city. 5M, a partnership between Forest City and landowner Hearst Corp, will include 688 housing units, of which 241 are marked as affordable, and 807,600 SF of office.
Several activists, including South of Market Action Committee, Save Our SoMa and Friends of Boeddeker Park, filed the lawsuit against the city and Board of Supervisors in late 2015 after the project was approved.
The activists alleged there was inadequate environmental review. They also believed some of the below-market rate units do not serve the lower-income community. These units are designated for renters making 100% to 150% of the area median income. They also opposed the funding of affordable units off-site in the Tenderloin rather than in SoMa.
While the developers expect to move forward with their plan, any further consideration by the court or appeals could delay the project additional months. [SFBT]
