“While we always strive to create apartment communities that are complementary to the distinct sensibilities of each neighborhood, having three properties in the Design District provided a rare opportunity to do so much more,” Sullins says. “We wanted to ensure that the area would become one of those up-and-coming neighborhoods where we all would love to live.”

One Henry Adams' retail space is completely leased with four concepts that were announced or opened earlier this year. The Grove, which has cafés in Pacific Heights, Hayes Valley and SOMA, opened its latest with indoor and outdoor dining and a fireplace with seating for 100, private event space and the first Grove-To-Go takeout window.

“Equity Residential has truly done a spectacular job curating and bringing city favorites, and new local concepts to the Design District. It's exciting to see the neighborhood emerging into a community where people now live and enjoy their daily lives–and by all accounts, many work locally too,” says retail specialist Mike Semmelmeyer of Main Street Property Services. “Equity Residential really worked hard to curate acclaimed local retailers and restaurateurs in this neighborhood, which is harder to accomplish from a broker perspective. Signing a lot of chain retailers would have been easier, but that's not the neighborhood vibe that Equity Residential has been thoughtfully cultivating. It's locals for locals and visitors of course.”

Indeed, Equity Residential is targeting tenants with amenities that add to the community, Sullins tells GlobeSt.com. Those would include food service, service retail, banks and fitness centers.

With a majority of the new retailers scheduled for a 2018 opening, timing appears to be optimal for the new employees of Dropbox and Airbnb, both of which signed two of the largest office lease deals in 2017. Thousands of workers will be moving into the neighborhood beginning in early 2018.