Tag Archives: SoMa

SoMa: A Neighborhood on the Move

Diverse and dynamic are two words that describe the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, which has grown into an incredibly vibrant district of residents, cultural organizations and businesses. It bustles with world-class museums, shopping, dining, convention space, hotels, housing and educational institutions, the most recent of which is Pacific’s new campus.

The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry is itself playing an important part in the continued development of the Fifth Street corridor in the western portion of SoMa. With the school’s nearly 1,000 students, faculty and staff, along with approximately 10,000 patients who will visit the school for care, SoMa is about to get a new infusion of people into its already dynamic streets.

5M Project

The proposed 5M Project (black markers on map above), a mixed use development project, will span a four-acre site roughly bounded by Mission, Fifth, Howard and Mary Streets. Once constructed, the 5M Project will include more than one million square feet of office space, 750 new dwelling units and 150,000 square feet of ground floor retail, educational and cultural uses.

New Yahoo! Offices on Fifth Street

In August, tech giant Yahoo! signed a deal to occupy 70,000 square feet of space for its new San Francisco offices. Yahoo!’s new space is located in the San Francisco Chronicle’s building directly across from the dental school.

The Old Mint Prepares for the Future

The Old Mint, a stunning national historic landmark, is located on Fifth Street between Mission and Market. The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society is undertaking the restoration of the Old Mint to house the future San Francisco Museum at the Mint. The society is currently raising funds for the second phase of the project. Once the funding is in place, construction will begin, culminating in the grand opening of the museum in three to five years.

New Apartments at Fifth and Folsom

A block and a half away from the dental school’s location, two apartment buildings are under construction. A 282-unit apartment building at 900 Folsom and a 181-unit apartment building at 260 Fifth Street. Both units will include street-level retail space to serve the neighborhood.

Technology, Commerce, Culture and Conventions

Further down Market Street in the mid-Market section between Fifth and Tenth Streets, companies such as Twitter, Dolby and Square have leased commercial office space or purchased buildings. On Market Street near Fifth, the 250,000-square-foot Market Street Place retail complex is currently under construction, as is a Nordstrom Rack store. The Moscone Center also has big plans in its future and will be adding more than 350,000 square feet of convention space during an expansion expected to begin in late 2014.

The Dugoni School of Dentistry is moving forward in getting to know the people, companies and organizations in its new neighborhood. In the spring of 2013, the school hosted a special reception for civic leaders and neighborhood business leaders. School representatives have joined key local business organizations and regularly attend meetings of the Yerba Buena Alliance, Yerba Buena Community Benefit District and San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

Major Renovations Start on Future SoMa Campus Structure

Scaffolding, fencing and construction crews in hard hats are the newest sights to see in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) district as major renovations commence at 155 Fifth Street—the future home of the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry.

The renovation of the seven-story, 395,000-square-foot structure takes a major step forward this fall as construction crews prepare for the removal and replacement of the exterior façade. The interior spaces have already been started, stripped down to their structural core in preparation for interior renovations in coming months.

Five floors of the building will eventually house the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. The new campus will contain flexible learning environments, research and seminar spaces, a state-of-the-art dental simulation lab and communal areas to support the dental school family. It will also feature remodeled clinical spaces to support the small-group practice model currently being implemented. Students will experience clinics that more closely resemble private practice, and patients will benefit from enhanced privacy, among other benefits.

The new campus will be located in a prime urban location, offering many neighborhood amenities and close proximity to parking and public transportation options for students, faculty, staff and patients. The building will also feature additional space for University of the Pacific to use in planning future programs or events outside of the scope of dentistry.

“We reached a significant milestone on the final designs and floor plan details required to move forward on major renovations,” said Dean Patrick J. Ferrillo, Jr. “I would like to congratulate the entire Facility Planning Committee and the numerous people involved on sub-groups who have worked hard and given input into the project, one of the largest facilities projects ever undertaken by the University. These are historic moments for the entire Pacific family.”

Construction Begins

Upcoming construction activities from September 2012 through January 2013 will include barricade set up, demolition of exterior precast panels and exterior glazing. The exterior “skin” system installation is scheduled to take place from January to June 2013. During this phase, the public will get a better view of the glass used to create the look of the new campus.

Interior construction will span 2013, starting with the building’s basement level. Other ancillary building and structural work will take place from August 2012 through June 2013.

The vacant 155 Fifth Street building was originally constructed in 1973 by Continental Development Corporation on behalf of Crocker National Bank. It was designed for 24-hour data and client service operations, and was one of the most technologically advanced, large-floor-plate office buildings in San Francisco at the time. The structure’s very large and open floor plans are particularly suitable for the needs of the dental school’s clinics and educational programs.

The University’s Facilities Planning Committee is working closely with numerous partners on this project, including project management firm Nova Partners, general contractor Plant Construction and lead architect SmithGroupJJR.

The structure, which meets current seismic codes, is being built to LEED Gold standards through the use of environmentally efficient design features. In selecting an existing building to renovate, the University is saving a significant amount in construction costs compared to those of building a new structure in a comparable downtown location, according to SmithGroupJJR estimates.

Equipment, Technology and Transition Planning

Meanwhile, the school is deciding what equipment will fill the building’s classrooms, clinics and labs. A Dental Equipment Purchasing Group has been evaluating dental equipment and technology partners for the future campus.

The school has been working with leading dental equipment companies to gather bids for simulation laboratory technology, dental operatories chairs and ancillary equipment. Other educational technology systems and products, such as interactive white boards, were also reviewed by faculty, students and others involved in academic affairs.

“We’re looking for equipment and technology partners who can join us in our vision for where dentistry is going, not just where it stands today,” said Dr. Parag Kachalia, chair of the Dental Equipment Purchasing Group and vice-chair of Preclinical Education, Research and Technology in the school’s Department of Integrated Reconstructive Dental Sciences. “We brought our school’s innovative approach to the table and are receiving some exciting custom solutions for dental simulation laboratories, clinical operatories and other equipment.”

Additionally, a cross-departmental Transition Team at the school is helping to make plans and preparations for the school to move its operations to the new campus in 2014. For example, the Transition Team is reviewing business processes, archival storage and electronic scanning resources to support the digital archiving of paper files. School departments are being encouraged to determine what materials can be archived, recycled or discarded.

2155 Webster Street Goes on the Market

In tandem with the renovations on the future campus, the University has put its current dental school building at 2155 Webster Street up for sale. The University is working with real estate firm Cornish & Carey Commercial Newmark Knight Frank.

Following the eventual sale of the 2155 Webster Street building, the dental school expects to continue to operate its programs and clinics at its current location through the summer of 2014 through a lease-back or similar arrangement with a buyer.

Earlier in the year, the school sold its 67-unit apartment building located at 2130 Post Street to the Prado Group, a San Francisco-based real estate development company.

Excitement Building

The plans for a move to a new campus foster excitement and curiosity within the dental school family. Some of those who have worked or taught at the dental school for many years acknowledge feelings of enthusiasm about the change ahead, while others express feelings of apprehension about leaving the school home they’ve known for years. But as construction moves forward, anticipation is building among students, faculty, staff and alumni who are involved in the project. Seeing the renovations take place gives them a glimpse into the exciting, state-of-the-art campus to come.

“I think that the most exciting aspect of the new campus is being in a new location that is more easily accessible to our patients,” said Katie Wong, Class of 2013, and a student representative on the school’s Transition Team. “The fact that we are going to be in an area that is so close to public transportation will provide more convenience for our patients,  students, faculty and staff.”

“Technology has created many advancements in the dental field, and as future dentists, our education needs to not only keep up with the changes, but also stay ahead,” added Poppy Montana-Marie Carlig, Class of 2014. “The Pacific upgrade will keep our institution at the forefront.”

In addition to the many clinical upgrades and flexible new learning environments planned for the new campus, the opportunity for new research spaces is also garnering excitement among people in the Pacific research community.

“Research is a group effort and thrives in a collaborative culture,” said Dr. Ove Peters, co-chair of the Department of Endodontics and director of endodontic research. “The new campus will facilitate that collaboration and further a sense of community among Pacific’s researchers. By modernizing our infrastructure and technology, we will produce even more relevant and essential research.”

University Celebrates Landmark Purchase of New Home for Dental School

The future of University of the Pacific looks bright in the Bay Area.

The recent landmark purchase of a new home for the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and other Pacific programs is generating much excitement among the University community and San Francisco’s civic leaders and community members alike.

University of the Pacific’s purchase of a seven-story building at 155 Fifth Street in San Francisco marks one of the largest facility projects ever undertaken by the University. The future new campus is located in San Francisco’s burgeoning South of Market (SoMa) district. It will provide a distinctive new home for future generations of Pacific students.

Five floors of the 395,000-square-foot building will house the Dugoni School of Dentistry, as well as classroom space for other University programs. The remaining two floors will be leased as premium office space. The building will undergo a comprehensive renovation, including a complete replacement of the building’s exteriors and interior spaces, which is expected to take approximately two years. The new campus is expected to open in mid-2014.

“This new facility will allow Pacific to strategically expand its footprint in San Francisco by providing a highly visible presence downtown,” said Pamela A. Eibeck, president of University of the Pacific. “This will give us important opportunities for our dental school, which has been in San Francisco since 1896, and also will allow us to build programs for students in our eight other University schools and colleges.”

“I am proud to welcome the University of the Pacific’s Dugoni School of Dentistry to their new home in SoMa,” said San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “This new campus represents a significant investment in San Francisco, bringing new jobs, new economic activity and one of the top dental schools in the nation to the heart of our City.”

The new building will contain flexible learning environments, labs research areas and support space for the dental school, and will also accommodate clinical changes and technology enhancements to support patient care. The SoMa location offers many neighborhood amenities and close proximity to parking and public transportation options for students, faculty, staff and patients.

“We are proud to be part of the exciting development activity taking place in the South of Market neighborhood,” said Dr. Patrick J. Ferrillo, Jr., dean of the Dugoni School of Dentistry. “The new facility will allow easier access for our patients to receive oral health care, and provide state-of-the-art learning environments to support our academic programs.”

Key partners for the renovation and construction project include the San Francisco office of SmithGroupJJR, Inc. as the lead architect; San Francisco-based Plant Construction Company as the general contractor; and Nova Partners, Inc., of Palo Alto, for project management services. The 155 Fifth Street renovation project is estimated to employ about 200 tradespeople over its duration.

The University is funding the cost of the purchase and renovations through an upcoming fundraising campaign, revenue from commercial leases and the sale of two properties currently used by the dental school in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood.

Purchase Agreement Signed for New Home

The Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry recently  took a bold step forward in its plan for future facilities in San Francisco. The school has signed a purchase agreement for a seven-story downtown building which features approximately 395,000 square feet of facility space.

The building is located on Fifth Street between Mission and Howard Streets in one of San Francisco’s most vibrant districts, the South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood. The site was selected after an intensive review of more than 20 locations by a facilities task force made up of dental school representatives, University of the Pacific senior leaders and members of the Board of Regents. The purchase agreement, while not finalized, is expected to be complete by late 2011 barring any unforeseen delays.

Future plans will include an extensive renovation and remodeling of the entire building, which is currently vacant. The building will be completely stripped down to its structural elements. The exterior will be re-skinned and the interior designed from scratch. One advantage of the building’s large, open floor plan is the opportunity to have a blank slate for the dental school to design and create optimal facilities. Design and remodeling work is expected to take up to two years to complete before students, faculty and staff can occupy the building.

When it came time to look for a new location, the school had an extensive wish list driven by several years of new facility feasibility and programming studies. Key features include: flexible space for modern learning environments; clinical spaces to support the new group practice model being planned as part of the new Pacific Dental Helix Curriculum implementation; a more convenient location accessible via public transportation for patients; communal space to better support the school’s culture; and environmentally efficient facilities to replace the aging systems and equipment currently used in the school’s existing building in Pacific Heights.

Approximately 225,000 square feet in the building will house dental school facilities. Additional square footage will be used by University of the Pacific for other purposes, which include the possibility of leasing space to commercial tenants or use by the University for programs in San Francisco in years ahead.

“This exciting step is the culmination of many years of feasibility studies and planning as part of the implementation of our strategic plan, Advancing Greatness,” said Dean Patrick J. Ferrillo, Jr., a member of the Facilities Steering Committee. “While we have much work ahead of us, we are confident this new location will serve us well for decades to come. I would like to thank the school community, including our alumni and donors, who continue to support this vision to create state-of-the-art facilities that will keep us on the leading edge of dental education.”

The school also recently selected Nova Partners, Inc. as its project management firm, SmithGroup as its lead architectural firm and Plant Construction Company as its general contractor.

More details will be shared in future issues of Contact Point and other announcements to the school and alumni communities.

Exciting Developments in SOMA Neighborhood

Our project will be among the activities that involve expanded or upgraded retail, transportation, higher education,commercial, non-profit and residential spaces.

San Francisco Old Mint Renovation. This project at 5th and Mission is projected to include a new Bay Area History Museum and visitors’ center.

5M Project at the San Francisco Chronicle Building. This project involves turning the Chronicle building at 5th and Mission and the 4.5-acre block around the building into a commercial and residential campus for innovation.

Higher Education Projects in SoMa. A front-page story in the San Francisco Business Times covered several higher education projects, including USF’s purchase of a building in SoMa and our dental school project.

Metreon 2.0 Renovation. This extensively remodeled property at 4th and Mission is projected to open in Spring 2012, with the city’s first Target store opening late 2012. It will also include a CityView event space.

SFMOMA Expansion. A major expansion at 3rd between Howard and Mission is proposed.

Explore our future neighborhood

Take a look around via the magic of Google Street View!


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