FAQs

The SF Railyards is a 20-acre site located along Townsend Street between 4th and 7th streets. The site is owned by Prologis (a San Francisco based real estate company), and is currently being used as a railyard and train station by Caltrain, who has an easement for rail operations on the site. The project will create a new world-class station for Caltrain and develop the site into a mixed-use transit-oriented neighborhood.

The SF Railyards site is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape this site to the benefit of the immediately surrounding neighborhood, San Francisco, and the Bay Area as a whole. The land is currently used for rail operations, which reduces connectivity between surrounding neighborhoods. Developing the site into a mixed-use neighborhood has the potential to connect the urban fabric between the SOMA, Mission Bay and Showplace Square neighborhoods. This project imagines that it could be transformed into a world-class transit station surrounded by a dynamic neighborhood with jobs, housing, and a vibrant public life, at a hub of great transit.

The total development could be 7-8 million square feet of office, market-rate and affordable housing, retail, and possibly hotel. A first phase could be approximately 2.5 million square feet of development concentrated towards 4th Streets and 7th Streets. The project proposes a flexible approach to land use so the site can adapt and grow as the market changes over the expected 20-year buildout, most likely contributing around 4 million square feet of commercial uses and 2,500 units of affordable and market-rate housing.

We anticipate that this will be designed as a cluster of buildings of various heights, with the tallest building located at 4th and King, with a new station at its base. This tower will be 850’, which would place it as the second-tallest tower in San Francisco, with Salesforce Tower marking the Transbay Terminal at over 1,000’ and this site marking 4th and King as the second-most important transit hub in the city.

The SF Railyards project is a public-private collaboration between Caltrain and Prologis in coordination with the City and County of San Francisco. The team also coordinates with SF City Planning, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), California High Speed Rail (CA HSR), Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA), and San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) to work toward creating an easy, multimodal transit experience and a vibrant, well-planned neighborhood.

Development will be comprised mostly of office and housing (including affordable housing), with supporting retail and possibly a hotel. A new, modern rail station would be included in the development, replacing the existing Caltrain station at 4th and King Streets. We are studying a range of proportions for each use to allow flexibility over the project phases to enable responsiveness to future market conditions.

It is a great time to be planning for the future of the site, the future of transit, and of the City of San Francisco. Prologis and Caltrain have spent the past three years analyzing how to both meet Caltrain’s future goals and also allow for a mixed-use development and we now have a path forward. Major infrastructure improvements adjacent to the site have recently been made (Central Subway) or are planned (the Portal) and it is a key moment to coordinate with and enhance these efforts.

It is also a critical time to be thinking about how to ensure the successful future of transit in the Bay Area. This is an opportunity to have a positive impact on the City of San Francisco, transit riders, and the community. When completed, this project will be a world-class, transit-oriented development that will endure over time.

The SF Railyards project would modernize Caltrain’s station and railyards to create a more efficient, multimodal transit hub. It would be funded by a mix of private and public sources. Fare changes based on the Railyards Project are not anticipated.

The first phase of the project is not dependent on a new underground station, tunnel, or off-site storage. The Portal, PAX and High-Speed Rail are separate projects from this effort, but the project team is coordinating closely with the agencies overseeing these projects. Moreover, our shared goal is to minimize inconvenience to customers and keep temporary service disruptions due to construction as brief and infrequent as practicable.

This project is a public-private partnership with a significant infrastructure component. We anticipate that a combination of public and private funding and financing sources—including local, regional, and federal grants—will be needed to make it a reality.

The SF Railyards project would deliver significant public benefits, including a new modern transit station, new housing (including affordable housing, the breakdown of which will be determined during entitlements), jobs, and a safer, more connected neighborhood with open space and improved pedestrian and bike access. It’s an opportunity to create a lively district, benefiting San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.

Prologis has submitted a Project Application to the City of San Francisco Planning Department. The submittal commences the formal entitlement process which includes the negotiation of the Development Agreement with the City of San Francisco and the Environmental Review process (CEQA). Prologis will continue to hold community meetings and workshops throughout this process. 

Caltrain and Prologis completed an extensive evaluation of potential rail and development scenarios through what is called a “Preliminary Business Case” (PBC). The PBC process is an evidence-based, decision-making framework to evaluate the trade-offs and performance of development concepts. This process helped to optimize rail operational needs while supporting feasible mixed-use development. The PBC process enabled the team to develop a vision and master plan for the site.

The first thing to do is to sign up for our mailing list at the bottom of this page! Secondly, come participate in events such as workshops, developer office hours, and site tours to share your perspective as the plan develops. You can see all of our events at lu.ma/sfrailyards. Lastly, please share information about the project and events with your networks! If you would like us to come share information about the Railyards with your community group, please reach out to info@railyards-sf.com.