This proposed building at 430 Main / 429 Beale requires exemptions for maintaining a 45 degree angle opening to the sky in all directions from an internal courtyard … meanwhile, it would BLOCK the SINGLE 45 degree angle opening to the sky from BayCrest Towers’s open spaces (courtyard/pool area, 2 barbecue patios) and units facing the courtyard. However, Rincon Hill Plan’s mere existence means the Planning Department doesn’t have to do an environmental impact report. What gives ?!?!?

See one of my three entries on this topic on my Rincon Hill blog.

The developer, Portland-Pacific, and their design team will hopefully get an earful from BayCrest, Bridgeview, and Portside residents when they hold a meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm at South Beach Harbor Services Building’s Community Room, between Pier 40 and AT&T Park.

Contact Tuija Catalano at 415-567-9000 or 430Main@portland-pacific.com at the developer with any questions …

There you have it. We have no idea what gives, and hope the community can take it over on this one. Answers to Jamie’s questions would surely be appreciated as would your attendance and phone calls we’re sure.

From the marketing team behind BLŪ, San Francisco:

Please note that we are nearly ready to deliver homes at BLŪ on 631 Folsom Street. First though, we need to fulfill a lender commitment to pre-sell 25% of the building. Once we hit that number, we can commence closings. In an effort to reach this 25% sold level quickly, we are lowering prices dramatically until the pre-sale goal is reached.

We have 1000+ [square foot] two-bed/two-bath homes with parking in this 21 story high rise which we are offering starting in the upper $500′s.

The deals will last until our lenders allow closings to begin and then the discounting will end.

Assuming the pricing of our most recent post on BLŪ, that would mean they’re selling homes that were previously “starting from the $600s” now “in the upper $500s”. sfnewdevelopments (found via Curbed SF) is talking 10-20% reductions (previous price in parentheses):

Residence A – starting from $743,000 ($925k)
Residence B – starting from $631,000 ($809k)
Residence C – starting from $622,000 ($799k)
Residence D – starting from $743,000 ($930k)
Residence E – Starting from $575,000 ($739k)
Residence F – starting from $673,000 ($809k)

As you can see, pricing varies depending on the source. Our starting prices for the “E” and “F” plans are significantly different than those sfnewdevelopments is quoting, but we’re not holding it against them. We’re just saying…don’t offer what they’re asking at the sales office, and don’t believe everything you read. Remember, in real estate EVERYTHING is negotiable and it NEVER hurts to ask.

You know what to do for details…drop us a line.

Where readers ask and we (the community) try to answer:

Any idea on the price to get into the top 12 floors [of the Infinity Tower II] that have the upgraded cabinetry?

That’s a good questions and we did a bit of digging. This reader has already received their answer via email, but we promised not to publish price online, so if you’d like to know the pricing, you’ll have to contact us.

The answer:
The top 6 floors (not 12…it was the top 10 on Tower 1) have the different cabinetry, the lowest price would be $1,XXX,000 for the North, 2 bd, terraced unit with 1,280 square feet.

And the follow up question:

What are the differences in appliances in the top 12 [remember it's 6] floors?

The answer:
The top 6 floors of the Infinity Tower II have Poggenpohl Kitchen cabinetry (upgrades), as well as a Viking Stovetop, as opposed to the Bosch. In addition, the Bosch dishwasher (standard in all units) will have matching front that blends into the cabinetry as opposed to the stainless look.

[Updtate: It is the top 12 floors that have upgraded appliances (Viking Stovetop, Convection Microwave, and treated Paneling on the Dishwasher). It is the top 6 floors that get the upgraded Poggenpohl kitchen cabinetry.]

More questions about the Infinity or any other new developments in San Francisco? Drop us a line, or better yet, let’s schedule a tour.

From “anon”:

What’s the price on those lovely midrise units? Are they willing to deal and if so, how much? Looking at deals for a 1 bed.

The answer: The mid-rise pricing for 1 bedrooms starts at $699,000. There are two studios, which are priced at $599,000 and $600,000. These are the last studios remaining. The sales office is happy to present any (reasonable) offer to the developer (so contact us).

From “Romeo Espedido”:

“Does tower 2 (T2) have the same floor plans as tower one (T1). Number of units per floor? Tower 2 looks skinnier than T1. Thanks.

The answer: Tower 2 does have the same floorplans and the square footages are pretty much the same as T1. Exact # of units per floor varies. Tower 1 is adjacent to the mid-rise building versus T2, which is more stand alone–as a result it may look skinnier than T1, but it is not. Also, as a result of the design of T2, they have several different floorplans in the lower floors including a 1 bedroom corner plan and several smaller 1-bedroom plans that start from $535,000.

From various readers around the blogosphere:

Are they going to forego selling the units and instead go the rental route?

Answer: No

Questions answered, now the pictures from the 27th Floor of T2:
Looking West from the balcony, T1 in the foreground, Millennium Tower in the distance, and ground breaking on temporary Transbay Terminal below:

Looking NW from the kitchen:

Looking NE from the living room, thats the Bay Bridge folks, and Treasure Island:

Apparently, theFrontSteps carries some weight, as we were privileged enough to go to many other floors than the 27th (like the penthouses), but we swore to keep the camera in the pocket and details zipped behind our lips (except the ~$7M price tag for one of those penthouses we’d gladly mix you a margarita in).

Needless to say, the views from Tower II on the North side of the building are hard to beat, and of course those are the units we were shown. Get on the south and you’ll definitely have some peeps looking in your windows, but that’s part of the fun, right. The details and finishes in the building are nice and clean, the floorplans work quite well, and the Infinity’s amenities (included in the HOA) are truly remarkable. The building is still very much in demand, and the place was buzzing with activity (yes, some contracts have already been written for Tower II). The pool area is great, the fitness room is huge (and was totally empty when we were there during business hours), and location is top-notch. So, if we had all the money in the world and could buy one unit at the Infinity, it would have to be one of the penthouses on the North East side of the building in Tower II, because we got beat out by another buyer on the second penthouse at The Millennium Tower. Damn!

As for pricing at The Infinity:
1 bedrooms from the mid $500,000s, square footage 700-1020
2 bedrooms from the high $700,000s, square footage 1160-1600
3 bedrooms from the high $900,000s, square footage 1630-1740
Penthouses…contact us

We have the deets, so don’t be shy getting in touch if you’d like a tour, or if you have any further questions. As always, thanks for hanging out on theFrontSteps, and happy housing!