Former Site of ‘Home’ to Host 7-Story Apartment Building

Home is no more. Bulldozers finished the demolition in March to make way for construction of a new apartment building with retail leases.
Photo: Steven Bracco on Instagram

By Brad Bailey (Castro Courier)

New changes are coming to the corner of Church and Market in the Castro. The site was previously the location of “Home” restaurant, and construction has begun on a new residential and retail space.

2100 Market St. will soon be the location of a seven-story structure with 60 new residential apartments and two ground level retail spaces. Brian Spiers is a local business owner and real estate developer for the project.

Visitors to the area can already notice the bulldozers on site. Demolition of the original building was earlier this year. “We have broken ground,” Spiers said. “We expect to start to move forward on the foundation and some of the excavation as early as next week.”

Spiers forecasts that construction will last about 18 to 20 months, which puts an opening in 2019 or 2020.

The former restaurant “Home” closed in 2011, and a Preliminary Project Assessment was submitted to the San Francisco Planning Department in June 2014. During that preliminary proposal the developers called 64 dwelling units, on grade parking for 15 cars with car lifts, and 4,700 square feet of retail commercial space on Market, 14th and Church streets. Several changes took place after a review of that Assessment in 2014 to the present day. The number of units was dropped to 60 and residential units were moved to higher floor to make space for ground floor retail.

“As you find out what you need for your ground floor space, sometimes you lose or gain units based on your final formula for those areas,” he said.
When asked about what type of retail space will go in the building, he stated that a restaurant/bar or bar will occupy the larger of the two spaces. The other space is still undecided.

The building will also have affordable housing units and will fall in line with the city’s inclusionary housing law. “All of our BMR’s (Below Market Rate) will be to requirement on site,” he said. “We’re picking up much needed apartments in the neighborhood.”
Spiers was born and raised in San Francisco, which may give him an insight into the potential changes of the project for the Castro and the city at large. In addition to 2100 Market, Spiers also owns the Lucky 13 bar at 2140 Market Street and the Bitter End Bar and Grill at 441 Clement Street. He also owns the ground floor commercial space at 280 Valencia Street.

“I feel it’s a positive change for the neighborhood,” he said, “It had been vacant for 5 years, so in less than two years it will go from a vacant, obsolete, run- down building to a new apartment building with ground floor retail in excess or matching the existing ground floor footprint of the prior business.”
After years of planning, Spiers is optimistic about the development so far, and the changes coming for the building and area. “We’re pleased with our progress up to date,” he said.