Balboa Reservoir’s First Phase: Two Affordable Buildings and a New Street Network
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Balboa Reservoir is moving from a large parking site toward a residential district beside City College of San Francisco. The first phase combines two affordable-housing buildings with infrastructure that will serve the larger community.
For a buyer following changes near Sunnyside and Westwood Park, the most useful information is the actual scope of Phase IA. The homes, street connections and future park belong to one master plan, but they do not all arrive in the same construction package.
Phase IA has a defined set of buildings
The project team’s current description identifies Buildings E and A in Phase IA, with 128 and 159 affordable homes respectively. It says site work began in November 2025 and gives spring 2028 as the anticipated completion target for this phase.
These are specific buildings within a larger program. The city’s capital-planning description places Balboa Reservoir within the Public Lands for Housing effort and describes an approximately 17-acre site with a roughly 1,100-home program.
Reading the two scales together helps avoid treating the first construction phase as the entire project. It also separates the initial affordable buildings from the other ownership and rental options described in the broader plan.
The streets are part of the first phase’s importance
The project description identifies an improved Mayor Edwin Lee Avenue connection to Ocean Avenue, protected bikeways and street trees. New Meyer Loquat and Wisteria streets form a loop around the future park area, while storm, sewer and electrical systems are being developed.
This infrastructure matters beyond the first occupied building. A new district requires routes, utilities and a workable relationship to surrounding streets. Much of the early construction can therefore be significant without looking like a finished neighborhood amenity.
The park has a separate implementation question
The project team explicitly states that Phase IA does not include Balboa Reservoir Park or public open spaces. That is an important detail for someone whose interest centers on a future park visit rather than housing construction.
The street layout can organize space around a future destination before the destination itself is delivered. A buyer should keep those milestones distinct when discussing the area’s near-term usefulness.
A 2026 design adjustment illustrates the detail behind a master plan
The city’s June 2026 ordinance record concerns a connecting element between two buildings near South Street and Brighton Paseo. The approved change addresses design parameters, uses and height at that location within the special-use district.
This illustrates how a large approved project can continue to require targeted design work. A master plan establishes the larger arrangement, while later decisions refine the way particular buildings and public connections meet.
Existing homes relate to the project differently
A nearby house, a condo and a future townhome within the master plan do not present identical ownership choices. Establish the property type and actual offering before making a comparison.
For an existing home, consider its current accommodation and surroundings first. The relationship to Ocean Avenue, City College, transit and private outdoor space may matter immediately, while later project phases form part of the longer-term context.
During a neighborhood visit, distinguish active construction routes from the eventual circulation shown in plans. The completed drawing explains the intention; current access determines the trip that can be made today.
Connect the development story with the home search
Our Sunnyside guide and Westwood Park guide place the project beside the surrounding residential settings.
Explore real estate and home for sale in San Francisco. Contact Diamond to compare the actual homes, current routes and future project elements relevant to your plans.
Sources checked October 28, 2026. Phase dates are project-team estimates; future park delivery and housing availability should be confirmed separately.
