An affordable complex, located at 400 China Basin, has become home for families displaced by 1960s era “redevelopment” in San Francisco.
“The journey in pursuit of happiness at 400 China Basin was a beautiful struggle; heartbreaking, yet life-changing and exhilarating,” said new owner Joe Tasby, Disabled and Seniors Case Manager at Bayview Senior Services, whose grandparents, former Fillmore residents Arthur and Laura Davis, were relocated by the City’s urban renewal policies.
“It began with a promise to myself, to my family, to the life I believed we could have,” said Archpriest Reverend Wanika Stephens, Pastor and Rector at the Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church, and Staff Chaplain at Sutter Health.
Stephens’ – a 400 China Basin resident – parents, Most Reverend Mother Marina King, and Archbishop Franzo W. King D.D., of the Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church of the West, lost their home to urban renewal policies.
The 400 China Basin development team made it a priority to provide descendants of historically displaced families an opportunity to purchase housing in the City. Affordable housing developers Charmaine Curtis, Michael Simmons, and Young Community Developers collaborated on the project, along with Baines Nibbi construction and Mithun and Y.A. Studio architects.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to provide much-needed housing for middle-income working individuals and families in San Francisco. China Basin represents an iconic building on the waterfront whereby its very nature strengthens the fabric of a great City,” said Michael Simmons of Michael Simmons Property Development, Inc.
“I feel more driven than ever to develop housing for average working people,” said Charmaine Curtis, Principal of Curtis Development. “Stable, affordable housing is the necessary foundation for creating a healthy life where it is possible to thrive and not just survive. 400 China Basin was a rare opportunity to produce ownership housing affordable to ‘the missing middle,’ which is something that I have been passionate about for some time now.”
The midrise structure, with 148 family-sized units offered to first-time homeowners, features, a photovoltaic system, club room, play area, bike storage, teen lounge, parking garage with electric vehicle chargers, and rooftop terrace.
“I chose 400 China Basin for its stunning views, its striking architectural design, and its prime waterfront location,” said Stephens, a jazz enthusiast who owns and plays three upright basses. “The neighborhood carries that unmistakable San Francisco spirit, a feeling I know in my bones. As a native of this City, that connection wasn’t just appealing; it was essential.”
Tasby and Stephens both had a Certificate of Preference (COP), which offers priority in City-sponsored affordable housing lotteries to the direct descendants of households displaced by San Francisco Redevelopment Agency actions in the 1960s and 1970s.
Sponsored by the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII) and administered in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, 400 China Basin is part of the City’s Limited Equity Program, offering home ownership to middle-income individuals and families. The $130 million project was funded by public and private financing sources, including $83 million through OCII, $44 million in Goldman Sachs financing, and $4 million from the State Infill and Infrastructure Program.
A Grand Opening Celebration for 400 China Basin will be held on September 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Danny Pham 
Mark Steensland 
Jessica Zimmer