New tallest building set to scrape City skies

Little San Fran history for you: The top of Coit Tower was once the highest man-made perch in the City by the Bay.

Hard to imagine now, considering that the fire hose-resembling building — while still very much revered as a city staple — seems absolutely petite against the modern skyline.

And wouldn’t you know it? The buildings are about to get even taller.

CBS-SF reports San Francisco’s Planning Commission made the decision Thursday to approve plans for the 61-story tower, which will be erected at 101 First Street.

The soon-to-be Transbay Tower is set to be 1,070 feet tall, a staggering 217 feet taller than the Transamerica Pyramid.

But building won’t stop with just one tower. The Planning Commission has proposed a whole cluster of towering skyscrapers in the area, which would make up the new Transit Center District in the downtown area.

The new skyscrapers will blur even more any remaining difference between the FiDi, SoMa, and Embarcadero areas. But who’s keeping track?

The newly proposed mini-metropolis will consist of both residential and business spaces, as well as retail spaces, hotels, and — of course, given the name of the whole place — its own transit lines.

Of course, this mega-colossal city project hasn’t come without concerns from residents in the immediate area. The issue of over-crowding — not to mention an already-serious concern of housing in The City — is paramount among neighbors and workers in the downtown realm.