Glen Park Marketplace

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Factsheet / Questions

Over the past year and a half, a number of community meetings have been held regarding the Glen Park Marketplace Project. Here are some questions that have been raised:

Originally the project was to have had underground parking. What happened?

In response to the needs of grocers, the City's need for housing (particularly affordable housing near transit), the community’s call for a branch library, and the realities of financing, the project has evolved.

We learned that underground parking is very costly. In response to neighborhood concern about loss of parking, the contractor has again looked at that cost. The estimated cost of one floor of underground parking would be approximately $2,183,000 – a monthly cost of $580 per space. When we originally sought grocers, it was clear that they could not absorb that cost and that the size and type of neighborhood-serving grocers the community wanted did not see parking – particularly underground parking – as an amenity.

Both the grocer and the Library are designed to attract clientele from within the immediate neighborhood, not commuters or crosstown visitors. Neither use by itself would trigger a parking requirement – under the Planning Code it is the combination that would trigger a requirement for 14 spaces. If not for the inclusion of the library, no parking would be required – in fact, no variances from the Planning Code at all. The Code would not require (and would discourage) the provision of parking for drivers not visiting the grocery or library.

What is being done to offset parking impacts?

Bi-Rite will offer home delivery of groceries, enabling patrons to select items and have them brought to their door. This service has been very popular at Bi-Rite and other groceries throughout the City. Glen Park residents, including the new residents in the Marketplace, will be able to use the 2-3 City Carshare vehicles to be located right next door in the BART lot. This program provides cars that can be reserved and borrowed by the hour or day.

Neighbors and merchants have been working with the City to address the real parking problem in Glen Park – the use of the Village as a great big BART parking lot. Increased metering and enforcement, and greater use of area parking stickers are two ideas under consideration that could make a tremendous difference.

How will the building fit into the neighborhood?

On Diamond Street, the Marketplace will be 30 feet high – about the height of the bank building next door. That part of the building will be two stories tall, with the library over the grocery. The height remains 30' up Wilder Street a distance of 40' before reaching the established height limit of 40', with setbacks on all four sides to reduce the scale.

Looking across Wilder Street, the building will be about as tall as those across the street (the rear of buildings fronting on Chenery). Along Diamond Street the building will welcome pedestrians, with big windows, an arcade, flowers and produce displays, and seating. The design on Wilder will be more residential. Decks will overlook the street, apartments will have front stoops, and the materials will respond to those of neighborhood houses.

The architect, Peterson Architects, was selected as the result of a design competition and is expected to deliver an outstanding building. Everyone agrees that Glen Park is a very special neighborhood and deserves a great building.

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