Public Realm Addition to the Downtown Urban Fabric
Once an underutilized surface parking lot, the Brady Block development includes new residential, retail, and supportive housing buildings including 1629 Market, 53 Colton and 1 Brady Street, and repurposes the on-site historic structures such as the Civic Center Hotel and the existing Local 38 Plumbers Union Hall. The newly transformed block will add 580 new homes, including 96 supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness, to a crucial stretch of Market Street. In addition to substantial streetscape improvements such as the transformation of Colton and Stevenson Streets into pedestrian-friendly “living alleys,” the total project creates more than 20,000 square feet of new publicly accessible open space including the new Mazzola Gardens, named after Joseph P. Mazzola, and a mid-block pedestrian passageway connecting the new open space to Market Street.
The new public space draws in visitors and local neighbors with a sculptural succulent, mediterranean mix planting palette and a new sensory play environment, including an all-wooden nature-inspired playground. In addition to the public realm improvements, the block includes private spaces for the residential tenants, including sunken gardens, private courtyards, roof decks with extensive planting, and walkable mews connecting to Stevenson Alley. To enhance the surrounding public realm and streetscape, the ground floor of each building is carefully designed to support active uses with new commercial spaces, ground floor patios and stoops that will socially activate Brady Street, the mid-block mews, and Mazzola Gardens.
