“Over the past few years and especially after COVID-19, affordable housing has become a very significant market for Swinerton here in the Bay Area. As a company we believe that on any project where we go into a neighborhood or into a community, it is our duty to leave it better than how we found it.” – Lori Dunn-Guion, Swinerton Senior Vice President and Regional Manager in Northern California


Reimagining a Neighborhood After years of legal and political wrangling that involved not only the power utility, activists, and other stakeholders but also then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (who advocated for the plant’s closure), an agreement was reached, and in 2011, the power plant was mothballed. Tis cleared the way for the first phase of adaptive reuse and redevelopment that has completely reimagined the 29-acre site. Te City of San Francisco Planning


Department approved the Master Plan and Development Agreement for the Power Station site in 2020. It calls for approximately 2,600 residential units (of which 30% will be offered under market value), nearly seven acres of new open space, approximately 1.8 million square feet of commercial uses, community facilities, parking, and more. Te project will open a large portion of the City’s Central Waterfront to the public for the first time in 150 years. Te first phase of that master plan,


the Potrero Power Station Block 7B/ Sophie Maxwell Building project, broke ground in July 2024 and is on track to be substantially completed in November 2025. Demonstrating its capabilities as a 100% employee-owned builder that can deliver select work scope with in-house forces, Swinerton not only serves as general contractor but is also self-per- forming approximately 16% of the trade components, including all concrete,


countertops, and common area millwork. Design partner Leddy Maytum Stacy


Architects (LMSA) drew inspiration from the industrial quality of the historic site in its design of the 18-story, 80,941-sq.- ft. structure. Te complex will offer 105 units of affordable workforce housing and ground floor retail space and will reportedly target residents who earn an average of 80% of the area median income.


All-Female Management Team In addition to the significant, positive community impact this long-anticipated development heralds for area residents, another notable and inspiring aspect of the project is the all-female project management and self-perform leadership team from Swinerton that is working to turn vision into reality. Tat team includes Senior Project Manager Sarah Leads, As- sistant Project Manager Gabrielle Dang, Swinerton self-perform concrete Project Manager Samantha Solow, and concrete Superintendent Catherine Joslin. Te fact that the team put together to lead the project is all female was more serendipity than intentionally planned, according to Swinerton Senior Vice President and Regional Manager Lori Dunn-Guion. She noted that the team’s energy, collaborative approach, strong skill sets and experience have added a unique dynamic to this job. “There was no concerted effort [to make it an all-female team],” Dunn-Guion


commented. “But the chemistry on this project among the whole team is really positive, very uplifting, and inspiring. Te project is going well, on budget and schedule, and the relationship with the client has been great.”


Swinerton Leans into Affordable Housing Market Affordable housing projects like the Sophie Maxwell Building project are a major staple in Swinerton’s workload. In California and nationwide, the com- pany has made a strong investment in the affordable and workplace housing sector, completing over $850 million in such projects over the last five years, with nearly $1 billion in such projects currently underway or in preconstruction, according to Dunn-Guion. “Over the past few years and especially


after COVID-19, affordable housing has become a very significant market for us here in the Bay Area,” Dunn-Guion said. “As a company we believe that on any project where we go into a neighborhood or into a community, it is our duty to leave it better than how we found it.” She added, “I love it when we are able


to bring these buildings to some under- represented communities. It gives us a lot of joy that we are able to do what we love – construction – and also be good corporate citizens and help build up a community and a neighborhood. Tat is really tied to Swinerton’s core values.”


CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025


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