Commission Approves 536 Mission Tower but Cuts Office Allocation to Protect Downtown Pipeline

The San Francisco Planning Commission greenlit a 46-story tower on the Golden Gate University site Thursday but split sharply over how much of the city's dwindling office allocation to hand a single project — a decision that will ripple across every major development in the pipeline for years to come.

• 46-story tower at 536 Mission Street approved 6-0, but sponsor's request for full remaining Prop M office allocation rejected 2-4
• Prop M scarcity laid bare: granting the full 813,214 sq ft would have left zero allocation for competing projects like 50 Main Street, with annual replenishment netting only ~20,000 sq ft after existing debt
• Mezzanine code fix passes unanimously, eliminating a conflict between planning and building codes that delayed projects citywide
• Mayor announces renter protection package including tenant right to counsel, Ellis Act payment increases, and eviction protections

A proposed 700-foot office tower and its 649-foot mixed-use sibling both won commission approval at 536 Mission Street — but the fight over how much office space to authorize exposed a constraint that will shape downtown San Francisco's recovery trajectory.