City Envisions Another 800-Foot Skyscraper

City planners are seeking construction of a skyscraper that could be as high as the 853-foot TransAmerica Pyramid, the city’s highest building.

The idea is part of an ambitious plan to redevelop the city’s Transbay Terminal.

To help finance a new terminal, the city would allow developers to build at least six residential towers south of the Financial District.

The plan stipulates that a tower more than 800 feet high could be built next to the terminal if it passes analysis.

The rationale, city planners said, is that a transformed southern skyline needs a centerpiece.

“If you’re going to have a regional transit center, it deserves a signature tower,” said Maria Ayerdi, executive director of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, which oversees the effort to build a new terminal.

Towers above 600 feet have been banned in the city since 1984.