Rincon Hill

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Rincon Hill is one of many hills in San Francisco, California. At only around 120 feet (37 m) high and in an industrial area, it is not as well-known as the more famous Russian Hill and Telegraph Hill. The hill is located in the northeastern part of San Francisco and to the south of the Financial District. The busy, noisy western approach to the Bay Bridge that carries Interstate 80 is located on the hill as well as many on and offramps that stem from it. Before the 1906 Earthquake, the hill was home to many wealthy mansions. The Second Street cut which sliced through the hill to reach industrial areas to the south, and later the Great Quake and the resulting fires destroyed the neighborhood and led to its decline as a desirable residential area. The neighborhood was rebuilt as an industrial district and for many years it was underutilized and rundown, unlike the Financial District a couple of blocks to the northwest. In 1985 the City adopted an area plan for Rincon Hill in its General Plan, zoning this area adjacent to downtown for high-density residential development. However, due to the presence of the elevated Embarcadero Freeway surrounding the neighborhood, development in the area was slow coming, suffered from lackluster architecture, and lacked in enhancements to public streets and open spaces. After the physical and pschological barrier of the Embarcadero Freeway (damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquate) was removed in the early 1990s, the area within walking distance of downtown rocketed in attractiveness. In August 2005 the City adopted a new Plan for Rincon Hill, revising the 1985 Plan, focussing on creating (1) design guidelines emphasizing taller, more slender and widely spaced towers along with attention to the ground floor interface of buildings with walk-up townhouses and retail, (2) a plan for transforming the streets and creating public open space, and (3) a system of development impact fees to pay for public improvements, affordable housing, and other community benefitting programs. Recent downtown residential development in Vancouver, Canada served as a model for this new plan. The tall, residential towers sprouting in this area stretch up to 641' (195 m) in height like One Rincon Hill and will offer tremendous views of the entire Bay Area for those fortunate enough to afford them. Many people hope that this massive highrise development will spruce up Rincon Hill and put a damper on San Francisco's housing crunch--at least for the upper middle class. Concerns abound that a significant portion of these new luxury units are being purchased by the regional and global elite for pied-a-terres and vacation homes, and doing nothing to address local and regional housing needs.