Jazzing up the neighborhood: 30 Van Ness breaks ground in San Francisco
In the back of a famous San Francisco Jazz Club, Lendlease executive general manager of West Coast development, Arden Hearing, spoke with the San Francisco Business Times about the inception of 30 Van Ness, the future of mixed-use office buildings, and how Lendlease’s integrated model positions the company perfectly to deliver a best-in-class project.
- 24 Jul 2022
- by
- Harry Plumptre
- Corporate Affairs & Marketing
Read the full article from San Francisco Business Times, ‘Lendlease breaks ground on $1B tower in S.F.’s Hub District’. Subscription required.
In the wake of a global pandemic, with various political conflicts and global financial instability looming large, many would assume that ‘going against the grain’ might not be the safest option right now. However, where some see uncertainty, others see burgeoning opportunity.
Lendlease executive general manager of West Coast development, Arden Hearing, acknowledged this prevailing uncertainty, but argues the current landscape presents a unique opportunity for Lendlease: "It's a disorienting and confusing time right now… but that's exactly when history tells us that we should be starting.” In commencing work now, Hearing and his team aim to deliver 30 Van Ness into a market with zero competitive supply come 2025.
Lendlease’s Arden Hearing talks 30 Van Ness in San Francisco’s famous jazz club, Mr. Tipple’s Recording Studio, which sits adjacent to the development site.
The $1.15 billion, 47-story mixed-use tower is located in the vibrant Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco and signifies Lendlease’s largest investment to date in the Americas. The project is slated to be completed in 2025, at which time 333 for-sale condos will sit atop 290,000 sq. ft. of office and retail space.
The project comes at a time when office vacancy remains relatively high across the US, given the ongoing popularity of remote work. However, Hearing is not concerned, citing a strong demand for “next generation” Class A office buildings as reason for what sets this project apart: "…a small floor plate, 1,000-foot tower in FiDi sounds less appealing in today’s world for a host of different reasons…So a little bit of strategy, a little bit of luck — we have a large floor plate, transit oriented, open terraces on every floor, low-rise office building.”
In prioritizing the health and wellness of occupants, 30 Van Ness provides an answer to questions being raised across the industry: as the needs of employers continues to evolve, so too must the office spaces in which their teams reside.
Office and retail space will take up the nine-story podium serving as the base of the building.
Sustainability certifications are not just another box to be ticked for this project, but rather, sustainable features have been woven into SCB Architects’ design of the building. The nine floors of office space alone will feature outdoor terraces on each level, floor to ceiling windows allowing for an abundance of natural light - even dynamic glass that allows for decreased energy use and enhanced occupant comfort. Furthermore, the all-electric building is designed to achieve net zero emissions during construction and ongoing operations, aligning with Lendlease’s Mission Zero objectives.
Lendlease’s integrated model positions the company perfectly to deliver a best-in-class project.
Acting as the project’s owner, investor and builder puts Lendlease in the driver’s seat for this ambitious project, providing yet another opportunity to leverage its fully integrated approach and create a space where tenants, neighbors, and the surrounding community can truly thrive: “No one else does that across the board — so we are able to harvest a lot of efficiency, see a lot of angles when we do that.”
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