This unique redevelopment project combines housing, commercial and recreational uses in one "Mediterranean" style complex, comprising 177 housing units for 500 residents, ranging from 8-person dorms to private apartments, plus 60,000 sf of retail space, including a 9,000 sf public restaurant. The campus includes a health club, a state-of-the-art film and video screening room, sports facilities, an auto repair shop, group dining rooms, and administrative offices and conference rooms.

Although it appears to be a high end townhouse development, it is designed as economical double loaded corridor apartment blocks over retail and parking, with stacked plumbing trees and many repetitive elements. The design was the product of a close working relationship between architect, the client, and several public agencies, including the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and Port of San Francisco. San Francisco Chronicle architecture critic Alan Temko called it a "masterpiece of social architecture." Many of the materials and services used in construction were donated, and Delancey Street residents contributed most of the labor, making this the most successful "sweat equity" project in America.

Although the residential buildings are double loaded blocks, the street elevations suggest four-story townhouses built out to the sidewalk and vertically divided on the typical San Francisco 25' lot dimension. So although South Beach is a new neighborhood, the design goes back to the traditional way of building residential streets in San Francisco. Projecting balconies, eave detail and planter boxes enliven the streetscape. The design anticipates the Embarcadero becoming a grand waterfront boulevard. The "Mediterranean" materials and detailing relates to the tile-roofed pier heads along the Embarcadero.

The exterior stairs serving the residential blocks from the podium (interior) level are suggestive of "stoops". They are intended to be informal gathering spots for residents. The three buildings on the podium level (above the garage) form a little courtyard village with pedestrian "streets". All meals are taken on the second floor of the Restaurant building, with access only from this podium courtyard.

Jonathan Cohen was the project architect while with Backen Arrigoni and Ross, and after construction documents were complete, he formed Jonathan Cohen and Associates to perform construction phase services and carry the project to completion. Delancey Street has won numerous awards, including: Pacific Coast Builders Conference "Gold Nugget Award", 1990; National AIA Urban Design Citation of Excellence, 1991; Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence, 1992, and 1993 Honor Award from AIA/San Francisco.

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