SF’s notorious ‘Lake SoMa’ housing site could become a 25-story tower

March 17, 2026 - 08:31

A long-vacant and infamous San Francisco lot, colloquially known as ‘Lake SoMa’ for its tendency to flood, may soon be home to a significant new residential tower. The proposed development envisions a 25-story building, marking a dramatic transformation for the challenging site.

The project is part of a broader trend in the city, where developers are increasingly proposing taller and denser buildings. This shift in design philosophy is largely driven by the pressing need to make new housing construction financially feasible amidst high land, labor, and material costs. By building upward with greater unit density, projects aim to achieve the economies of scale necessary to move forward.

The site’s history as a persistent flooding problem presents a major engineering hurdle. Any serious proposal will require substantial and innovative foundational work to ensure the structure’s long-term stability and safety. Successfully developing this particular parcel is seen as a test case for building on other difficult lots within the urban core.

If approved and constructed, the tower would contribute a substantial number of new housing units to the South of Market neighborhood. Its progression will be closely watched as an indicator of the city's ability to translate its goals for increased housing density into tangible reality, especially on sites that have defied development for years.