UCSF continues to acquire land in Dogpatch, despite repeated assurances to residents that it would focus growth on its 57-acre hospital and research campus in adjacent Mission Bay.

The university took residents of the San Francisco neighborhoods of Dogpatch and Potrero Hill by surprise late last month when it closed escrow on the Cal-Steam plumbing supply warehouse at 777 Mariposa. The sprawling structure occupies 36,000 square feet of land between Minnesota and Indiana streets, kitty-corner to the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay. As recently as January, UCSF leaders had assured residents that they had no plans to add to the Dogpatch footprint, neighbors said.

With this acquisition UCSF now owns two full blocks in the Dogpatch Historic District along Minnesota Street between Mariposa and 19th streets. The five properties total more than 4 acres. The university bought three of the properties — 500, 566 and 600 Minnesota St. — in 2015. Another building that UCSF has owned for several years, 654 Minnesota St., houses the university’s server farm and police department.

In addition, UCSF recently announced plans to build a 150,000-square-foot facility at 2130 Third St. in Dogpatch to house the department of psychiatry and a new child, teen and family health center.

Heated meeting

Back to Gallery UCSF buying up property in Dogpatch as neighbors object... 5 1 of 5 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 2 of 5 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 3 of 5 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 4 of 5 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle 5 of 5 Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle









With news of the Third Street development and the Cal-Steam purchase still fresh, Dogpatch Neighborhood Association members grilled UCSF administrators at a meeting Thursday night described as heated and contentious. Longtime resident Jared Doumani, who lives on Tennessee Street and has his painting business in a nearby warehouse, said he is committed to using political or legal means to stop, or at least slow, UCSF’s incursion into Dogpatch.

“There is going to have to be a fight to get them to realize that they can’t autonomously come in and say, ‘We’re going to plop ourselves down anywhere we please,’” he said. “It’s simple: UCSF belongs in Mission Bay. It does not belong in Dogpatch.”

UCSF Vice Chancellor Barbara French said the owner of 777 Mariposa St., a single-story concrete warehouse, approached school officials about selling the property. UCSF said it would honor Cal-Steam’s lease through its Dec. 31, 2018, term. French said there is no immediate plan for the property, but that UCSF is launching a review of its future space requirements.

“This is a case where a property owner came to us and said, ‘I want to sell,’” she said. “The property is across from our medical center. We are mindful of the concerns of the neighborhood, but also mindful that property around our campus is in short supply.” The Third Street parcel is being given to the school by an anonymous donor who is also funding a portion of the construction.

She said the Minnesota Street buildings were purchased for student housing, which the city has been encouraging. The residential buildings will accommodate about 800 students. She said the school plans to locate a grocery store on the ground floor.

“A few years ago, UCSF began feeling the pinch of the housing crisis and began to identify solutions,” French said. “We have to do something, because it’s beginning to undercut our ability to recruit the best talent and the best students.”

Evaluating any expansion

Supervisor Malia Cohen, who represents the area, said she finds it hard to believe that UCSF would buy the property without a plan for it.

“UCSF needs a more comprehensive process about their expansion outside of Mission Bay, and they need to talk to stakeholders instead of land-banking property,” Cohen said. “No institution would acquire property without giving some thought to its use and what role it could play in its mission. The Dogpatch is not Mission Bay, and any expansion of UCSF’s institutional uses needs to be closely evaluated and vetted.”

UCSF’s expansion comes as Dogpatch is undergoing an unprecedented construction boom. About 600 new housing units will be finished in the next 12 months and another 1,500 are in the pipeline.

The onslaught of new building is spurring complaints that the added population hasn’t been accompanied by improved transit service or new open space. And while local zoning rules require developers to pay fees to help fund improvements to infrastructure, UCSF is exempt from those fees.

“There is a concern that we will fall even further behind in the infrastructure needed for the neighborhood, said J.R. Eppler, president of Potrero Boosters. “If a private developer purchased the property, we would have an idea of what to expect. With UCSF we have no clue.”

Lou Vasquez is a partner with developer Build Inc, which has been working in Dogpatch for a decade and is putting up 116 rental units at 650 Indiana St., directly across from UCSF’s newly acquired Minnesota Street properties. He said he sympathizes with fears that UCSF and an influx of new residents will overrun the delicate mix that makes the area so appealing. But he supports UCSF’s efforts to create housing for its students, who will bring vitality to the streets and support local restaurants and shops.

“In some ways it’s what the neighborhood has always feared,” Vasquez said. “But ultimately it’s a good thing. There is a big need for student housing. I just hope they recognize the need for ground-floor retail, something UCSF has not been so great at in Mission Bay.”

Previous disputes

Neighborhood controversy is nothing new for UCSF. The university faced legal challenges to expanding its campuses both in Laurel Village and on Parnassus Avenue. As part of the University of California system, UCSF is not subject to local zoning or the planning approval process.

French said that there are no plans to buy more Dogpatch property, but that would look at opportunities as they arise.

John Loomis, an architect and professor of architecture at San Jose State University, said he is disappointed in UCSF’s Dogpatch plans, in part because he is a fan of its Mission Bay campus, which he called “holistic and wonderful.”

“They have a real mission drift when they are leaking into Dogpatch,” Loomis said. “They need to finish their core mission before they start leaking into other areas.”