Story Highlights
- San Francisco officials target 1660 Mission Street for Department of Public Health.
- Building could centralize health services near major transit lines.
- City sold property for $52 million before pandemic, now vacant.
San Francisco officials are targeting the purchase of a Mission Street office building for the Department of Public Health — part of a push to leave aging offices and secure space before the market shifts.
The site at 1660 Mission St., which includes a parking lot and once housed the planning department, is now vacant but likely comes at a bargain.
Office vacancy in San Francisco remains well over 30%, and rents have yet to rebound. But an AI boom is fueling demand and drawing investors back, creating pressure for the city to act while bargains remain.
The Department of Public Health is studying whether it can centralize several health care services at 1660 Mission, including behavioral health and a sexual health clinic, according to city planning documents. Those offices would move from 356 7th St.
The building sits near Mission Street, Van Ness Avenue and Market Street transit lines, a key reason the city is eyeing the property, according to people familiar with the process. Officials want easy access for health care clients and staff.
The department would need approval from the Board of Supervisors to proceed with the purchase. The city's health department declined comment.
San Francisco officials are familiar with the building, having sold it to a private joint venture prior to the pandemic for $52 million, according to property records. The venture, led by an affiliate of San Mateo real estate investor Michael Wang, has since refinanced the property.
The six-story building was also once pitched for research-and-development offices and labs.
In recent years, the city has sought ways to modernize its own office footprint. One example: a 21-year lease with Hudson Pacific Properties at 1455 Market St., which includes an option to buy the building.
