San Francisco kicks off massive Candlestick redevelopment with first construction phase

After years of stalled proposals, the former Candlestick Park site in San Francisco’s Bayview is finally seeing activity as Mayor Daniel Lurie confirmed the start of phase one of the Candlestick redevelopment. FivePoint, the project’s developer, is allocating about $130 million to lay down essential infrastructure such as roads and utilities across the 270-acre tract. The ultimate vision includes up to 7,200 residential units together with commercial space, offices and public amenities, a response to the region’s acute housing shortage highlighted by recent data.

Earlier plans for a large shopping mall fell apart, and the pandemic further delayed progress, but officials now cite a recovering economy and growing AI sector as favorable conditions. City planners warn that the venture still faces significant financial and market risks, especially given the slower rebound in the condominium market and the site’s distance from the traditional downtown core. Nonetheless, the groundbreaking marks the first tangible step toward transforming the long-vacant land into a new urban community.