8-story tower is San Francisco's first project approved under new upzoning rules

Some neighbors call the project out of scale for the area, which has not grown beyond two- and three-story buildings in decades.

1 minute read

July 29, 2026, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Google street view of two-story residential building on San Francisco street covered in construction netting between other homes.

The proposed site of the new tower at 230 Anza Street in San Francisco, California. | Google Maps / 230 Anza St

The San Francisco Planning Commission approved a housing project that is the first to be permitted under a new upzoning law designed to increase the city's housing supply, reports Brad Hamilton in CBS News.

The proposal would replace a two-story building with an eight-story condo tower, which opponents say is out of step with the rest of the low-rise neighborhood. "A spokesperson for the city's Planning Department said the project 'will add a mix of affordable and market rate apartments, including apartments for families - the critical 'missing middle' housing needed to keep families in the City.'" Commissioner Amy Campbell "acknowledged the awkward nature of the look," but said that is in part a result of the neighborhood not allowing more development until now.

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