538 Laurel St

The proposal at 538 Laurel St would add 31 units in a 4-story building under the AB 2011 ministerial pathway. The site forms part of the former UCSF Laurel Heights office campus in Presidio Heights, which the Chronicle described in January 2026 as vacant.

The broader redevelopment dates to December 2014, when SKS Partners and Prado Group signed a 99-year ground lease with UCSF for the 10.3-acre campus, according to the San Francisco Business Times. Opponents later secured historic designation for the central modernist building in November 2018. Prado Group and SKS Partners won unanimous Board of Supervisors approval for the master development in November 2019 after defeating project appeals.

The Laurel Heights Improvement Association sued San Francisco in January 2020, alleging inadequate environmental review and significant neighborhood impacts. The Chronicle reported in September 2024 that the lawsuit ended in a settlement. In October 2024, city staff recommended changes to support infrastructure-district financing, extend the development agreement and revise affordable-housing requirements. SFYIMBY reported an estimated construction cost of at least $450 million.

The project moved toward construction in 2026. The Chronicle reported in January 2026 that Prado Group expected to begin work in late 2026 on the first three buildings. SFYIMBY reported in February 2026 that new-building permits had been filed for 538 Laurel St and two companion buildings. BAR Architects & Interiors designed the metal-panel and dark-wood-shingle exterior.

The 538 Laurel St permit remains in review as of August 2026. The dossier identifies 7 prior permits and no dead planning records at the parcel. The feasibility model finds the project eligible but estimates a 4.4 yield on cost against a required 6.5, leaving it 207 basis points below the threshold.