The 518 Walnut St proposal would add 64 homes in a 5-story building in Presidio Heights. The project entered review after a June 2026 filing and seeks approval through the AB 2011 ministerial pathway. An August 2026 dossier update confirms that review remains underway.
The site forms part of the former UCSF Laurel Heights campus. Prado Group describes the campus as currently containing a roughly 360,000-square-foot office building and 550 parking spaces. SocketSite reported that SKS Partners and Prado Group signed a 99-year ground lease and development agreement for the roughly 10-acre property in 2015.
The broader redevelopment faced organized opposition and litigation. The Chronicle reported in 2020 that the Laurel Heights Improvement Association sued the city after local approvals, challenging the environmental review and proposed alterations to the historic 1957 Fireman's Fund complex. The San Francisco Standard reported that the developers settled the lawsuit in 2024.
Planning documents from October 2024 described an earlier version of the Walnut building with 60 homes. The current permit raises that count to 64. SF YIMBY reported on June 21, 2026, that Handel Architects designed the building with three basement levels. The publication identified the permit as one of three new filings at the campus and named Prado Group and SKS Partners as developers.
The parcel has 7 prior permits and 0 dead planning records. The surrounding Presidio Heights pipeline contains 27 projects and 737 homes. A preliminary feasibility model finds the proposal eligible but not financially viable: its 4.3 yield on cost falls 222 basis points below the required 6.5. The permit remains in review, with no entitlement, issuance, or completion month recorded.
Bottleneck Watch: Planning
Planning is the longest-running active review station on this project.