City College of San Francisco is making preparations for a five-level parking structure.
The proposed 200,000-square-foot structure will be located between Riordan High School and the STEAM building and have 650 parking spaces for students, faculty and the public, along with bicycle parking. The ground floor fronting Frida Kahlo Way will house facilities for custodial services and the campus police department.
Through July 16, the college is collecting feedback on a supplemental environmental impact report for the project proposal in accordance with state law, as it was only mentioned but not analyzed for the 2o21 Facilities Master Plan's CEQA requirements. Comments may be submitted via email to facilities@ccsf.edu. A public meeting will be held on July 9 at the STEAM Building at 5 p.m. (Disclosure: This reporter teaches at the college.)
A map showing the project site. | City College of San Francisco
In the age of autonomous vehicles, a new garage may seem anachronistic. In time, it may become obsolete. College officials are thinking about that possibility.
"One of the things we're exploring is the ceiling height — the floor-to-floor level — so if it needs to be converted, that might be a reasonable option," Alberto Vasquez, associate vice chancellor of construction and planning, told The Light.
Vasquez said the design team will be required to develop scenarios for adaptive reuse. Garages and office buildings are difficult to convert to housing for many reasons, from adequate light to utilities.
Another required design feature: hookups for photovoltaic panels on the top deck.
Layout of the first floor.| City College of San Francisco
Parking
Vehicle parking has been a contentious issue for the college over the years, with members of the college community expressing concern that the loss of parking will harm enrollment.
The college counted 1,381 parking spaces across its flagship campus's surface lots and public streets, according to the 2021 update of the Facilities Master Plan: 446 for staff and faculty, 739 for students and the public and 196 for police, the chancellor’s office, commercial vehicles and ADA-accessible spaces.
The college's west campus had 595 spaces in 2021. But that was before the construction of the STEAM Building. Parking in the reservoir basin will soon be curtailed once work begins on the 128-unit Building E. (The reservoir's development team explored building a parking garage with the college but that plan stalled.) The college's planned Diego Rivera Theater project, which is expected to be approved by the state this summer, will also be built on top of parking.
Last year, the Frida Kahlo Way Quick Build project eliminated 29 spaces to create space for a bike lane and bus boarding islands. San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency staff are reviewing the efficacy of the changes.
"A comprehensive project evaluation will be published later this year," SFMTA spokesperson Erica Kato said, who added that a new bus boarding island at Cloud Circle South will be built this summer or fall.
City College anticipates breaking ground on the 18-to-21-month project in early 2027. The cost is estimated to be $50 million and will be paid for with funds from the 2020 Proposition A Bond.
Alex Mullaney founded The Ingleside Light in 2008 during the peak of San Francisco's great tradition of neighborhood newspapers. He is the publisher and editor.
