The Kelsey Civic Center



The Kelsey Civic Center is an eight-story, 112-unit affordable housing development at 240 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. The building’s units are allocated for residents making 20% to 80% of the area median income, with one-quarter of the units being allocated for residents with disabilities. The structure will also be all-electric and low-carbon.
Site Square Footage: 13,815 sq. ft.
Date Completed: 2025
Construction Cost: $88.3 million
Client: Mercy Housing California
Architect: WRNS Studio, Mikiten Architecture, RHAA Landscape and Planning
Structural Engineer: Mar Structural Design
Civil Engineer: Sherwood Design Engineers
General Contractor: Cahill Contractors
Rockridge Geotechnical (RG) performed a geotechnical investigation and provided geotechnical services during the construction of a 112-unit affordable housing building at 240 Van Ness Avenue. The multifamily development is geared toward residents making 20% to 80% of the area median income (AMI), and one-quarter of the building’s units are reserved for residents with disabilities. The building will consist of eight levels, which will be constructed at-grade, as the basement of the previous building on the site is being filled in. Our investigation at this site also included infiltration testing.
The primary geotechnical issues affecting the proposed development included: (1) the presence of loose to medium-dense undocumented fill and Dune sand beneath the site that are susceptible to excessive static settlement under new building loads and seismic settlement during a major earthquake event, (2) providing adequate vertical and lateral support for the proposed building, and (3) the presence of a neighboring structure with basement level(s) bordering the eastern property line. RG provided recommendations for the building to be supported by a mat foundation bearing on ground improved with drilled displacement columns. RG provided consultation during final design and construction permit application. RG also provided geotechnical observation and construction services during construction; these services included observation during the installation of the drilled displacement sand-cement column ground improvement system and subgrade preparation for the mat foundation.