Developer Of Big Rental Project On Bryant Puts It On Hold

Facing fierce opposition from anti-gentrification activists in the Mission, the developer of a 276-unit rental complex proposed for Bryant Street put the project on hold Monday, saying he would instead redesign the development. In a letter to Planning Director John Rahaim, Podell attorney Steven Vettel said that the property owners will instead look into a variety of modifications that would “require the Planning Department to re-evaluate the potential environmental effects of the project.” “We are continuing to work with our design team on the scope of the proposed revisions, and hope to formally submit a revised application for review by the Planning Department within the next two to three weeks,” Vettel wrote. The decision comes at a time of trepidation for market rate housing developers in the Mission District, who face increasing scrutiny not just from the activists who have long railed against luxury housing, but also from members of the Planning Commission, planning staff and even from construction trades groups that have typically backed large residential developments. In November, San Franciscans will vote on a temporary market rate housing moratorium in the neighborhood. The Bryant Street project is second in size and controversy only to 1971 Mission St., a 330-unit proposal that has been unraveling for months over neighborhood opposition and a lawsuit between the property owner and the developer, Maximus Real Estate Partners, which had the property under contract. Housing Action Coalition Executive Director Tim Colen said the delay makes sense if Podell didn’t have the votes, but he called the situation “disheartening.”