Visitacion Valley/Schlage Lock Plan

The Visitacion Valley/Schlage Lock Project needs your input to move forward!

After the closure of the Schlage Lock factory in 1999, residents of Visitacion Valley partnered with City agencies and the Universal Paragon Corporation to develop a plan for the reuse and revitalization of this critical site in their community. Several years of analysis and an extensive community planning process concluded with the adoption of a Redevelopment Plan, zoning changes and a detailed master plan to guide change on the site.

However, the demise of Redevelopment Agency in early 2012, and the loss of public funding that accompanied it, requires a fresh look at the community’s goals for the site. The Planning Department is partnering with the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the community to evaluate the project’s feasibility, look at tools which can help move the project forward, and make necessary legislative changes to foster the site’s transformation.

City staff, along with its development partners at Universal Paragon, re-initiated efforts to move transformation of Schlage forward with a workshop on October 13th. Both attendance and enthusiasm were high as the community confirmed their highest priorities for the site, and gave feedback on a possible near-term project on the Schlage site. We hope you can join us for future workshops as outlined in the project timeline indicated above.

Click here to view community and public meeting summaries and download meeting materials from the Visitacion Valley/Schlage Lock planning process.

Summary & Project Background

In 1999, the Schlage Lock Company decided to close its Visitacion Valley factory. The now-vacant site presents opportunities for new uses. Upon closure of the Schlage Lock plant, the Home Depot Company proposed to develop a store on the site. However, this proposal was met with opposition from some residents and business owners, who cited traffic and other concerns, as well as the incompatibility of the “big-box” use with the transit-friendly nature of the site and the fine-grained nature of the neighborhood.

From 2001-2002, after the Board of Supervisors passed interim zoning controls in 2000 on the site to prevent a “big-box” use, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, the Planning Department and the non-profit Urban Ecology worked intensively with the community to create a new vision for the vacant Schlage Lock site. A Concept Plan was released in 2002 summarizing a community vision for that site.

From 2000-2002, city staff worked intensively with community members to create a new vision for the vacant Schlage Lock site. A Concept Plan was released in 2002 summarizing a community vision for the site. In 2005 the Board of Supervisors initiated a process to determine if a Redevelopment Area should be established on and around the Schlage site.

From August 2006 to 2009, five public workshops were held. The Planning Department worked closely with the community to refine the land use framework for the site; to create guidelines for the location and programming of new open spaces, to establish the street network; create sustainability guidelines, and finalize a site design that will ultimately guide Schlage Lock site’s redevelopment. For a summary of the community workshops click here. To read the Design for Development document, click here.

Since City adoption of the Plan, the Visitacion Valley Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) has continued to meet to discuss and comment on various aspects of the Plan’s implementation and to provide comments to Universal Paragon Corporation as it implements plans for the Schlage Lock site.

Adopted Legislation

Contact

For any questions or feedback, please contact:

Claudia Flores
Project Manager
claudia.flores@sfgov.org
(415) 558-6473