Office Building In South Of Market Neighborhood Of San Francisco Touts Green Space, Sustainability

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee helped break ground Thursday on a new seven-story office building in the South of Market neighborhood that boasts green materials and lots of bicycle parking.

The space at 270 Brannan Street is a reflection of the current construction boom in the city, with a modern, edgy design, a tech client already lined up to occupy the space, but also a sense of green.

"To have a lower impact on climate change, we've applied to the U.S. Green Building Council for a LEED Platinum status," said land use and attorney for the developer Steven Vettel with Farella Braun + Martel.

The building will have more bike parking, 52 spaces, than car parking, with only a dozen spots. At the center of the building, plans are also in place for a landscaped atrium enclosed by a glass roof. There will also be a courtyard and rooftop desk.

"Ultimately, the intention is to build and to keep this city vibrant and alive and a city for everyone," said Mayor Lee.

Splunk, an information technology company, has already signed up to lease the building at $12.2 million a year, even though it is not scheduled to open until December 2015.

The building is being developed as a joint venture between San Francisco-based SKS Partners and Mitsui Fudosan America

Designed by Pfau Long Architects, it has been praised by city leaders in incorporating an environmentally sustainable design with the surrounding South End Historic District.