San Francisco breaks ground on 7,200 home development after laying quiet for years

After years of false starts, empty land and grand plans that went nowhere, San Francisco’s long-dormant Candlestick Point is finally showing signs of life.Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Wednesday that construction has officially begun on the first phase of the massive redevelopment project at the former site of Candlestick Park, the legendary stadium that once hosted the San Francisco 49ers and Giants.“For years, San Franciscans have heard about what would someday rise at Candlestick,” Lurie wrote on Instagram.“The Bayview and Candlestick Point have waited long enough.”The first phase isn’t exactly a skyline-changing spectacle just yet.

Instead, developer FivePoint is spending roughly $130 million on the nuts and bolts needed to make the future neighborhood possible, including roads, utilities and other infrastructure across the sprawling site.But for a property that has sat largely unused since Candlestick Park was demolished in 2015, even bulldozers moving dirt represent a major change.Social media users were quick to celebrate the long-awaited progress.“Finally! The Stick has been vacant for way too long!” one commenter wrote, adding hopes that the project would bring “(hopefully affordable) housing.”Another simply declared: “looks like something is finally happening.”The development, known as Candlestick, is planned for roughly 270 acres and is expected to eventually include as many as 7,200 homes, along with shops, offices, parks and other community amenities, according to the Wall Street Journal.The timing is particularly notable for a city struggling with a major housing shortage.The San Francisco metropolitan area was short roughly 130,000 homes in 2024, according to Zillow.San Francisco also ranks among the US cities facing some of the country’s largest housing deficits.The city’s housing crunch has become even more glaring as rents climb.

Apartment rents have increased by more than 10% over the past year, while vacancy rates hav...