Pyramid’s steep path from civic eyesore to icon
December 27th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, Financial District, Zoning & City Hall Issues
The San Francisco Chronicle
By John King
December 27th, 2009
The Transamerica Pyramid is San Francisco’s tallest and best-known tower. It’s a registered corporate trademark, a fixture on postcards - and proof that snap judgments on buildings can often be wrong.
Construction began 40 years ago this month over the loud objection of anyone who was anyone in urban design. The city’s top planner called the proposal “an inhumane creation.” The Washington Post’s critic recoiled at “a second-class world’s fair Space Needle.” Progressive Architecture magazine warned the impact on San Francisco would be “no less reprehensible than … destroying Grand Canyon.”
Instead, the 853-foot-tall tower that opened in 1972 has become a civic icon. [More...]
S.F. real estate story line: Flight to quality
December 18th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, Financial District, Tenant Activity, Zoning & City Hall Issues
The San Francisco Business Times
By J.K. Dineen
December 18th, 2009
San Francisco office tenants are increasingly gravitating to downtown’s most prestigious trophy towers, taking advantage of desperate landlords to lock in cheap rents, according to a study by Jones Lang LaSalle.
While overall San Francisco tenants gave up 1.3 million square feet more than they leased in 2009, the city’s 49 most prominent buildings — JLL calls them the Skyline 49 — actually had about 100,000 square feet of positive absorption over the past two quarters. [More...]
Towering plan for new S.F. skyline unveiled
November 19th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, Financial District, South of Market, Zoning & City Hall Issues
San Francisco Chronicle
By John King & John Cote’
November 19th, 2009
The recession hasn’t stopped San Francisco’s city planners from thinking big.
The Planning Department released an ambitious set of proposals Thursday to turn the blocks around the Transbay Terminal into a commercial and transportation centerpiece of the region over the next two decades.
The 145-acre “Transit Center District” would redraw San Francisco’s skyline with a half-dozen towers taller than almost any in the city, including one stretching at least 100 feet higher [More...]
Exploratorium a step closer to waterfront site
September 25th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, Financial District, North Beach/ Waterfront, Tenant Activity, Zoning & City Hall Issues
San Francisco Chronicle
By John Cote
September 24th, 2009
Picture Courtesy of Socketsite
The Exploratorium is a step closer to getting a new home now that the city’s Port Commission has approved a 66-year lease to move the interactive children’s science museum to the waterfront, making it just a short walk from the Ferry Building.
The lease deal for side-by-side Piers 15 and 17 marks a major milestone for the proposal to move the renowned museum from the Palace of Fine Arts to the Embarcadero, where it would be readily accessible to pedestrians and ferry, BART and Muni passengers.
“It’s such a great location,” said Jennifer Sobol, project manager for the port. “It will be so easy for schoolkids and families to get there.” [More...]
Efforts to turn empty lots to a glass half full
September 4th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, Financial District, Midmarket/ City Hall, Zoning & City Hall Issues
San Francisco Chronicle
John King
September 3, 2009
Even as San Francisco’s development scene continues to languish, city officials and at least one private landowner are exploring how to fill empty sites in creative ways - including art installations and a working farm.
“If you leave a blank landscape, that’s an invitation to blight,” said Matt Jacobs of Turnberry Lansing, the owner of 45 Lansing St., a Rincon Hill lot that also fronts Harrison Street. “It’s better to do something that’s interesting and that the neighbors like.” [More...]
San Francisco considers expanding Moscone Center
June 26th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, Yerba Buena, Zoning & City Hall Issues
The following article from the San Francisco Chronicle, written by James Temple, explains in good detail the likely path to Moscone Center expansion.
This is a crossover issue for those of us in the commercial real estate world because one of the buildings listed as potentially being razed to create additional convention space is 680 Folsom, which has been advertised as available for lease over the past year. 680 was going to be rehabbed with a beautiful glass exterior prior to the economic downturn that has lowered lease rates and occupancy levels across the City. [More...]
San Francisco suspends effort on Transbay District site
June 16th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, South of Market, Zoning & City Hall Issues
The following article from the San Francisco Business Times sums up the future, or lack thereof, of a full city block at First & Folsom in San Francisco.
We have reported on this site previously, and the inability to work out development plans for the property at this time speaks to the state of the market. If you work or live in the South Financial District or Rincon [More...]
1st & Folsom bid process and a Transbay development update
March 29th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, Financial District, South of Market, Zoning & City Hall Issues
John King of the the Chronicle discussed the latest updates this week for the First & Folsom development site in the South Financial District here in San Francisco.
The commentary is actually geared toward the veil of secrecy surrounding the bidding process, but the way King surrounds the story with historical context and also explains how the development fits into the larger submarket growth is more intriguing to me.
I am a big fan of King’s writing as I have stated and reading his work will make you smarter, as well as educate you about the future of the financial district’s vertical growth through transbay development. [More...]
Duane Morris restructures, Schwab to vacate One Montgomery
March 27th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, Financial District, Midmarket/ City Hall, Mission Bay, South of Market, Tenant Activity, Zoning & City Hall Issues
Posts have been few and far between here at San Francisco Tenant Representation lately and I apologize for that. Fortunately I have been occupied assisting clients and as we have discussed, the market demands a great deal of attention on every transaction in this climate.
Below you will find a catchup list of events, developments, and transactions that have occurred over the past month or so. The biggest trend to pay attention to today, which has not quite shown itself in transactions yet, is the tendency right now for firms to put excess space on the sublease market… even if they only recently signed leases for this space. The best examples comes from 555 Mission, which is a beautiful new building trying hard to fill direct space. Two of the newest tenants to the project have already listed space for sublease, before ever taking occupancy of that space.
Economic Downturn Tests Sector Resilience Globe Street/ March 23rd, 2009
Duane Morris Restructures One Market Lease Costar Group/ March 11th, 2009
Law Firm Moving to 3 Embarcadero Center Costar Group/ March 11th, 2009
Architecture Firm Buys Historic San Francisco Building Costar Group/ February 25th, 2009
Bebo Co-Founders Buy Musto Plaza for $7.25 Million San Francisco Business Times/ March 20th, 2009
$30M Redevelopment for One Market Retail San Francisco Business Times/ March 13th, 2009
Skyline Review breaks down space availability in downtown San Francisco
February 13th, 2009 Filed Under Development Updates, Financial District, Mission Bay, North Beach/ Waterfront, South of Market, Tenant Activity, Zoning & City Hall Issues
The San Francisco Chronicle this past week covered a report that was created by my firm, Jones Lang LaSalle, that details the available office space in downtown San Francisco.
Our research department truly does outstanding work, and for this report the data was given a beautiful visual representation by our great graphics people. Normally I don’t cover our reports on this site, but rather I try to focus on real events that occur in the marketplace that have a direct affect on what my clients may pay in rent. In this case however I am proud to be associated with such professionalism and I am certain this type of support makes me a better agent.
Despite the associated picture only detailing 11 properties, the original piece details San Francisco’s top 30 buildings and includes written market updates and relevant recent news and information. I would be happy to supply you with a hard copy of the report, feel free to reach out to me if you are interested in getting a hold of a physical copy. [More...]
