by Kevin Epps
With deep roots and bold vision, Derek Smith and Marinship take center stage on a joint venture in building a new future for San Francisco families
San Francisco — On a bright spring morning in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District, the community gathered for more than a groundbreaking ceremony – they came to witness history being built by the very people most impacted by displacement and inequity. Casa Adelante, at 1515 South Van Ness, a new 100% affordable housing development, broke ground Wednesday with plans to deliver 168 permanently affordable rental homes for low-income families, including households experiencing homelessness and those impacted by HIV.
Located in the culturally rich Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, the project represents a critical step in reversing decades of gentrification and exclusion that have reshaped the neighborhood. But what truly sets this project apart isn’t just what’s being built – it’s who is building it. The construction will be overseen by a joint venture between Marinship Development Interest LLC and Guzman Construction Group, two certified local, minority-owned contractors.
Leading the charge is Derek Smith, a third-generation tradesman, native San Franciscan, and founder of Marinship. “My grandparents helped build ships during WWII. Now I get to lead the building of homes that will keep working-class families in this city. That’s full-circle,” said Smith. “As a Black builder and as someone who was born here, this project is deeply personal.”
From shipyards to skyscrapers: a builder’s legacy
Smith’s story is rooted in the industrial history of the Bay Area. His grandparents, Bessie Inez Smith and Willie Henry Smith Sr., were part of the Black labor force that powered the Marin Shipbuilding Division of the W.A. Bechtel Co. during World War II. Working as a welder and a sheet metal worker in Sausalito from 1942 to 1945, they helped drive one of the largest wartime industrial efforts in the region. Those experiences, passed down through generations, shaped Smith’s understanding of community, craftsmanship and self-determination.
Naming his company Marinship was an intentional homage – a nod to the thousands of Black and immigrant workers whose hands helped build the region’s infrastructure, even as they were often excluded from ownership and leadership. After earning a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Stanford University, Smith went on to work his way up through the ranks – from field engineer to estimator to project manager – at some of the Bay Area’s top construction firms. In 1992, he launched Marinship with a vision: to create a firm that not only delivered high-quality infrastructure and housing projects, but also opened doors for Black and Brown professionals in the construction industry.
“This isn’t just about putting up buildings. It’s about building people, building careers and building long-term equity in our communities,” said Smith. “We’re showing that Black excellence belongs in every part of the process – from the ground up.”
A vision realized in the Mission
Casa Adelante, 1515 South Van Ness, will include:
- – 120 units for households earning 25% to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI),
- – 42 units for families exiting homelessness,
- – 5 units for low-income households impacted by HIV.
The development also includes on-site community resources such as a Head Start childcare center operated by Wu Yee Children’s Services and a permanent home for the Nuevo Sol Day Laborer and Domestic Worker Center, anchoring services that are essential to immigrant and working-class communities.
“This is more than a housing development – it’s a community investment,” said Luis Granados, CEO of Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA), which co-leads the project alongside the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC). “We’ve fought for years to keep families in the Mission. Today, we’re putting that fight into concrete.”
Equity in action: contracting with purpose
In a city known for billion-dollar tech campuses and soaring towers, affordable housing developments are hard-won. But equitable contracting – ensuring Black, Brown and local-owned firms lead on major public projects – is even rarer. Casa Adelante, 1515 South Van Ness, stands as a model of what’s possible when equity is baked into the development process from the beginning.
By awarding construction leadership to Marinship and Guzman Construction Group, the project team affirmed its commitment not just to affordability, but to economic justice. “For too long, Black and Brown builders have been left out of projects that impact our own communities,” said Smith. “This project changes that narrative. We’re not subcontractors – we’re at the top of the table.”
This distinction matters. Historically, Black-owned construction firms have been systematically underutilized, especially in publicly funded projects. Barriers to capital, bonding and pipeline opportunities have made it difficult for minority contractors to scale. Smith’s leadership disrupts that trend. His company not only meets the high demands of city infrastructure work – it also actively invests in training and hiring from within communities of color.
“At Marinship, we don’t just build; we mentor,” Smith said. “We bring on interns, apprentices and young professionals who reflect the neighborhoods we serve. We’re building the next generation of builders.”
City leaders and advocates rally behind the project
Mayor Daniel Lurie, who spoke at the groundbreaking, emphasized the urgency of building more deeply affordable housing. “We must urgently build more housing to make sure the next generation of San Franciscans can afford to raise their kids here,” Lurie said. “Casa Adelante brings 168 units of 100% affordable housing to the Mission – opening doors for families who need it most.”
District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder echoed the sentiment, celebrating the project as a hard-won victory for her community. “The Mission continues to be a neighborhood that not only demands 100% affordable housing – it gets it built,” said Fielder, who also credited her predecessor Hillary Ronen, the city’s Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), and longtime community advocates for laying the groundwork.
Chinatown CDC Executive Director Malcolm Yeung called the project “the largest affordable housing development in the Mission in two decades,” and emphasized the value of nonprofit-public partnerships rooted in community trust.
A model for the future
As the city grapples with an ongoing housing crisis, projects like Casa Adelante, 1515 South Van Ness, are becoming blueprints for what a just, inclusive development process looks like. And at the heart of it are people like Derek Smith – engineers, builders and visionaries – who are breaking new ground not just with steel and concrete, but with purpose and pride.
“We are the people we’ve been waiting for,” Smith said. “And now, we’re building the city we deserve.” Construction is expected to be completed in early 2027.
The Bay View’s executive editor and Hunters Point’s favorite son, filmmaker Kevin Epps, is best known for the game-changing “Straight Outta Hunters Point” and for “Black Rock,” “Rap Dreams,” “Fam Bam” and more. He was awarded an artist fellowship by the world renowned de Young Museum. His passion for advocacy for his community is legendary. He can be reached at kevin@sfbayview.com.
