As someone who lives a few blocks from where this complex is going up, I don't know what these people are smoking. $3000 for 360 sq foot apartment is utterly absurd, even in NY. I pay far less than that for a nice apartment in a doorman building so I don't know who would in their right mind would pay for these. I could see _maybe_ paying if this complex were going up in a prime neighborhood like the West Village or Tribeca, but way over on 27th street which is a half mile (which is considered far in Manhattan) from the nearest subway station, no way.
The whole place. It works out. It's an exception to an assisted living community, so it means I have to stick to 3d printing and laser cutting if I use the shop tools after 6PM or so, and occasionally I have to help an old person carry stuff, but it's nice. I don't even lock my front door.
I'd have to say you lucked into a pretty special deal and not representative of much within 20 minutes of SF (and is that 20 minutes at midnight or during rush hour?). :-)
After reading that they had to waive the regular zoning laws, I get the impression that this is a developer's approach to fulfilling an affordable housing requirement while actually trying to push median rents upward.