Marina Safeway Redevelopment Gets City Approval

San Francisco approved two towers and 848 homes at 15 Marina Blvd. on an expedited state-law timeline, drawing a federal lawsuit.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Utilities

Marina Safeway Redevelopment Gets City Approval

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Should big housing projects skip public hearings and environmental review in your neighborhood?

San Francisco approved the redevelopment of the Marina Safeway at 15 Marina Blvd., replacing the store with two towers of 22 and 18 stories that include a new Safeway and 848 homes. The approval was granted under Assembly Bill 2011, which streamlines eligible housing projects on commercial land, and opponents have challenged the process in federal court.

Why it matters

The approval shows how state streamlining law can accelerate housing on commercial sites, but it also raises questions about environmental review and neighborhood scale. Officials dispute whether the project was timed to avoid the Family Zoning Plan, which replaced the density formula that applied to the site.

The project's 848 homes compare with a city estimate of 500 to 600 homes under the Family Zoning Plan's rules. Development costs are estimated at $700,000 to $1.2 million per home excluding land, and the extent of contamination beneath the store remains unassessed.

The players

Align

Align is the developer proposing the Marina Safeway redevelopment, and it is named as a party in the federal lawsuit challenging the city's approval.

Daniel Lurie

Daniel Lurie is the mayor of San Francisco, who has accused Align of trying to sneak the plan in before the Family Zoning Plan took effect.

Stephen Sherill

Stephen Sherill is the Marina district supervisor on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, who has characterized the project as out of scale for the neighborhood.

PG&E

PG&E is the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, which operated a steam power plant on the site before the Safeway was built and is named as a party in the lawsuit.

The details

PG&E operated a steam power plant on the site before the Safeway was built in 1959, and petroleum contamination has since been found in soil and groundwater. Mayor Daniel Lurie has accused developer Align of seeking approval before the Family Zoning Plan took effect, while Marina Supervisor Stephen Sherill has called the project out of scale for the neighborhood.

1959: Safeway built on the site after the PG&E steam plant operated there.
A year ago: Redevelopment proposal first drew opposition.
Earlier this year: Family Zoning Plan took effect, replacing the site's density formula.
November 6, 2026: City approval granted on the AB 2011 expedited timeline.

Market Landscape

The approval applies California's Assembly Bill 2011, which lets eligible housing on commercial land bypass public hearings and CEQA review. The Marina project is a test of how far that streamlined path can carry large residential developments in dense urban neighborhoods.

Marina residents may see new retail and 848 homes added to the neighborhood, but the timing of environmental cleanup relative to occupancy remains a planning question. Nearby parks such as Fort Mason and Marina Green are disputed as urban use under the approval.

The takeaway

Streamlined approval can speed housing, but environmental review and neighborhood scale remain central questions for projects built on contaminated former industrial and commercial land.