The California College of the Arts has recorded preparatory arrangements to develop to 600 beds for students by its San Francisco grounds as nearby schools battle to suit surging interest for lodging.
The school is looking for endorsement to deconstruct a current industrial building at 188 Hooper St. in the Design District and construct another five-story lodging building, as indicated by the preliminary arrangements filed with the city. The new building would likewise incorporate replacement retail and production, distribution and repair (PDR) space, alongside 60 parking spots.
"For all the colleges in San Francisco, if they are going to continue to deliver graduates to the creative economy here, affordable housing is going to be key," said David Meckel, director of campus planning for CCA. "Smart students are going to stop going to school in San Francisco if they can't find affordable housing."
Meckel said CCA's project will involve a 32,000 square area inside of school's Art and Design Educational Special Use District, which the city made in 2012 and grants student lodging. The project, which is being outlined by Stanley Saitowitz/Natoma Architects Inc., is required to be prepared for use by summer of 2019, the school said. CCA said it is presently selecting a contract firm. The school says that there is still no exact number of beds and tenant floor space, it not being finalized yet.
The project is inititated for the school by Art Group LLC, a consortium of local developer UrbanGreen Devco and national student lodging developer Capstone Development.
UrbanGreen Devco, headed by Daniel Murphy, sold a close-by package at 100 Hooper St. to Kilroy Realty for $78 million a year ago. Patrick Kennedy, CEO of Panoramic Interests, said Murphy can self-fund the CCA venture, which made him an alluring partner. Kennedy likewise sought the partnership with CCA. Murphy didn't quickly react to a solicitation for comment.
