CATEGORY ARCHIVE: Commercial
March 28, 2008
Approved For Residential, But Building Commercial (535 Mission)
Hines had planned to build an office tower, then Monahan Pacific acquired the site and received approval to build high-end condos, and now Beacon Capital Partners is back to offices and moving forward with a 27-story tower at 535 Mission (currently the surface area parking lot next to Salt House).
After delaying construction for about a year, developer Beacon Capital Partners is laying the groundwork to start work this spring. On March 12 the company filed permit applications with the Department of Building Inspections to begin pile testing and shoring on the lot, according to public documents.
The 27-story spec tower, which the Planning Commission gave the OK to last August, totals 290,000 square feet and was designed by HOK.
And according to Simon & Associates, the HOK designed tower will be seeking LEED Gold and should look a little something like the rendering above.
∙ Tishman moves forward with 535 Mission St. [Business Times]
∙ Active Projects: 535 Mission Street [Simon & Associates]
Posted by socketadmin at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (15) | (email story)
March 18, 2008
1575 South Van Ness: NIMBY Neighbors Actually Arguing For Density?
According to a plugged-in tipster, ICI Paints acquired the remaining 17-year lease for 1575 South Van Ness from Hollywood Video's bankruptcy auction (“outbidding the owner and several other bidders”) and was seeking a conditional use permit to establish “a formula retail use paint store (dba ICI Paints) within an NC-3 (Moderate-Scale Neighborhood Commercial) Zoning District.”
The application for the conditional use permit was, however, denied (although "ICI says they'll fight this "to the top""). And once again according to our tipster: “Neighbors wanted a mixed-use building with ground-floor retail, not a single-storey building sitting on only 40% of the property - while the rest is surface parking - on a site zoned for a 50' building.” NIMBY neighbors actually arguing for density? What a concept.
Posted by socketadmin at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (37) | (email story)
March 3, 2008
No Real Story (But We Simply Couldn’t Resist): 2728-2730 21st Street
While Edwardians and Victorians represent one era of San Francisco's past, this definitely represents another.
∙ Listing: 2728-2730 21st Street (Mixed Use) - $1,150,000 [MLS] [Zephyr]
Posted by socketadmin at 2:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | (email story)
February 4, 2008
Forget Bagdad By The Bay, This Is More Like Babylon (By The Bay)
John King has the design scoop on 110 The Embarcadero, a proposed glass and vine covered office building by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects (design) and Hines (developer):
"The proposed 10-story building would rise from a sliver of land next to the Audiffred Building, a three-story brick landmark from 1889 that houses Boulevard Restaurant. Unlike the Audiffred - a French-flavored confection and downtown's oldest waterfront structure - the look next door would be all clear glass and straight lines."
"Planters contained by a trellis-like mesh would be attached between each floor, and each planter would hold a mix of vines so something is in bloom each month of the year. The vines would be trained to snake around cables that would form a sort of taut net around the glass box, with vertical cables spaced every 5 feet and horizontal ones stretched waist-high across each floor."
Assuming Planning Commission approval this spring, the building could be up, open and growing leaves by the end of 2009.
∙ A beautiful green building for Embarcadero [SFGate]
Posted by socketadmin at 6:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (23) | (email story)
January 10, 2008
Home Depot Bayshore (San Francisco): Let’s Get Ready To Rubble!
It was well over two years ago that we first wrote:
Next week Home Depot is headed back in front of the Planning Commission. Having signed a lease for the old Goodman Lumber location at 491 Bayshore Blvd. over five years ago [now almost eight], the Depot is still seeking approval to begin development.
Proponents point to desperately needed neighborhood jobs and a significant increase in local sales tax revenues, while opponents "view Home Depot as a goliath that would hurt local hardware stores, tarnish quality of life and create a traffic nightmare on Bayshore and adjacent Bernal Heights."
Considering the site used to house Goodman Lumber (which we desperately miss), a Home Depot doesn’t really seem like that much of a stretch to us. And we're damn tired of having to drive down to Colma to ogle the power tools.
And while Supervisor Ammiano vowed “it’s not over yet” when Home Depot received their initial approval, it does appear that progress is inching forward: Home Depot has secured demolition permits for the site and building permits are in the works.
If we’re lucky, a plugged-in tipster will drop us a line (or photo) at the first physical signs of action. And if the stars align, perhaps a reader or two will offer up the inside scoop with regard to overall timing and design.
∙ Home Depot Almost Home? [SocketSite]
∙ Can’t We All Just Get Along? [SocketSite]
∙ Do-it-yourself emporiums making themselves at home [Business Times]
Posted by socketadmin at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (43) | (email story)
December 17, 2007
The SocketSite Scoop On The 52 Condos Rising At 818 Van Ness Ave
818 Van Ness Avenue is an eight (8) story mixed-use condominium project of 52 residential units above two new retail spaces (810 and 826 Van Ness). The design is by Forum Design. The building should be on the market in early 2008. And yes, they're already accounted for in our Complete Inventory Index (Cii).
∙ SocketSite’s Complete Inventory Index (CII): Q3 2007 (SF) [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 3:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (43) | (email story)
November 19, 2007
The Things You Can See From Those Virtual Views (222 2nd Street)
An eagle eyed reader checks out the virtual views from 555 Mission and notices a plain white box rendered at the corner of 2nd and Howard. And while that corner currently serves as a surface level parking lot, the rendering appears to be a placeholder (and no, not the final design) for Tishman Speyer’s proposed 617,000-square-foot office tower at 222 2nd.
∙ A Virtual Tour Of 555 Mission Street (And Downtown San Francisco) [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 7:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | (email story)
November 16, 2007
A Virtual Tour Of 555 Mission Street (And Downtown San Francisco)
555 Mission Street (downtown San Francisco between first and second) is a thirty-three story office tower that’s being developed by Tishman Speyer, is “registered for LEED certification,” and should be completed around October 2008.
And if you don't feel like waiting a year to see how the tower will fit into the neighborhood, check out the virtual tour and interactive digital views that include renderings for Millennium Tower, Infinity (both towers), and the first tower of One Rincon Hill.
And no, we wouldn't read too much into any towers that haven't yet been rendered.
∙ 555 Mission Street [555missionst.com] [Virtual Tour] [Interactive Views]
∙ Neighborhood Identity Crisis Alert: Is It FiDi? Transbay? SoMa? [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (15) | (email story)
November 13, 2007
Party Live Like A Rock Star (Once Again, Quite Literally)
It’s a boutique mixed use building at 544 Natoma Street that was designed by Sternberg Benjamin Architects in 2002 (and commissioned by Tony Espinoza/Sally Haskovec) to house a digital recording studio (San Francisco Soundworks) and its parade of recording artists (in two three-story residences) above.
The residences (which were offered to those recording for $150 per night) feature big windows, radiant heat, open floor plans and a fireplace that’s reminiscent of another ex-recording studio and residence a little farther to the south.
And while the rock star recording studio is on the market as well, it's going to take a plugged-in reader/tipster to provide any additional details on the offering (beyond "Penthouses starting at $1,350,000").
UPDATE: And yes, a narrated virtual tour that actually works (in terms of both interest and engagement).
∙ Soundworks Residences [544 Natoma]
∙ 610 Rhode Island From The Inside (Literally And Figuratively) [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 6:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (21) | (email story)
October 5, 2007
Mo' Money Coming To Mission Bay While Mid-Market's On A Mission
While the developers of the 2.7 million-square-foot campus in south Mission Bay have officially expanded their horizons beyond life sciences and will now actively court the darlings of the valley (traditional technology firms, and yes, “web 2.0” start-ups), a mid-Market community benefit district (funded by property owners) has been established in an attempt to reclaim “the south side of Market Street from Fifth Street to Ninth Street, with dips north and south." And if you happen to be walking on the north side of Market? That's Tenderloin community benefit district territory.
∙ Alexandria shifts gears at Mission Bay [Business Times]
∙ Mid-Market combats blight with new district [Business Times]
Posted by socketadmin at 8:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | (email story)
September 28, 2007
Frederick Knows His Piers (A.K.A. Cruise Ships Closer To Pier 27)
According to the San Francisco Business Times, a “blue-ribbon panel on the future of San Francisco's cruise ship industry” (“led by former Port Commissioner Frankie Lee and Chamber of Commerce President Steve Falk”) agrees with what Frederick noted back in April: San Francisco’s new cruise ship terminal will likely dock on Pier 27.
And yes, it’s a definite boost for the proposed development of Piers 27-31 (now in the hands of Shorenstein Properties).
∙ S.F. cruise terminal finds new berth [Business Times]
∙ The Port, The Piers, The Parking And The Terminal [SocketSite (4/07)]
∙ Proposed SF Cruise Ship Terminal Sunk [SocketSite (9/06)]
∙ Pier Wars [SocketSite (10/05)]
Posted by socketadmin at 3:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | (email story)
September 20, 2007
It’s Official: Pelli Clarke Pelli/Hines Win The Transbay Competition
It’s Official, the Pelli Clarke Pelli/Hines team have won the Transbay Terminal and Tower design competition.
But even as they selected the Hines-Pelli team over two rivals, leaders of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority stressed that the proposal now on the table is a starting point, not a fait accompli.Although the authority board was unanimous today in their decision to select the Hines-Pelli team, several members said they expected the tower to eventually include both residential and commercial space. The original tower proposal included only commercial space.
And while nobody should be too surprised, some are sure to de disapointed.
∙ Skyscraper team chosen for giant Transbay Terminal project [SFGate]
∙ Transbay Terminal (And Tower) Design Competition: The Teams [SocketSite 1/07]
∙ Hines And Pelli Clarke Pelli Bid The Most (And Get The Transbay Nod) [SocketSite 9/07]
∙ The SocketSite Scoop: San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal Designs [SocketSite 8/07]
Posted by socketadmin at 1:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (23) | (email story)
September 10, 2007
Hines And Pelli Clarke Pelli Bid The Most (And Get The Transbay Nod)
It's true, the Hines/Pelli Clarke Pelli proposal for "City Park" has won (save an uprising by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority Board, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors, or the Planning Commission) the design competition for San Francisco's new Transbay Terminal and Tower.
The winning Transbay terminal proposal by developer Hines and architect Pelli Clarke Pelli offered $350 million for the tower property, more than twice what the other two teams were willing to pay, according to the nine-person jury appointed by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority.
The astounding offer blew away the team ranked second in the competition, Richard Rogers Partnership and Forest City Enterprises, which offered $145 million for the tower land. The third-place team, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Rockefeller Group Development Corp., made a purchase price offer of $118 million.
As previously noted, the proposed “City Park” combines a 'complex' 5.4 acre park elevated above the transit center with a 'simple and calm' 1,200-foot glass wrapped tower housing 1.6 million square feet of commercial office space (and no residential).
∙ Jury picks Hines for Transbay tower [Business Times]
∙ Jury names favorite for Transbay terminal, tower [SFGate]
∙ Transbay Terminal (And Tower) Design Competition: The Teams [SocketSite]
∙ San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center + Tower: More Proposal Porn [SocketSite]
∙ San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal Design Proposals: Highlights [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 6:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (48) | (email story)
August 31, 2007
Add Another (Proposed) Tower To The Transbay Mix (181 Fremont)
Another tower, this one a mere 900 feet, has been proposed for the area surrounding San Francisco’s new Transbay Terminal and Tower. And according to J.K. Dineen, the “razor-thin skyscraper” at 181 Fremont “would include 500,000 square feet of office space beneath about 140 residential condominiums.”
The Fremont Street parcel is one of several sites where the city is considering allowing tall towers as a source of tax revenue to help bankroll the $3.4 billion Transbay Terminal and Tower. Under the plan, developers around the transit center and tower -- likely to soar 1,300 feet or more -- could build well above current 300- to 500-foot zoning restrictions in exchange for pumping millions of dollars in additional taxes to help pay for building new infrastructure in the Transbay District as well as the terminal programing itself.
Designed by HellerManus, the proposed tower on Fremont “would have a glass curtain wall and exterior structural system…would seek a gold stamp of approval from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design… [and] include a highly efficient sawtooth glazing system that allows daylighting but reduces unwanted heating.”
And yes, as is now de rigeur, the “developer is also looking into solar power [and] wind turbines…”
∙ Another tower added to Transbay [Business Times]
∙ San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal Design Proposals: Highlights [SocketSite]
∙ The SocketSite Scoop: San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal Designs [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (29) | (email story)
August 27, 2007
A Greener View In The Works For Some At BLŪ (And Others)
TMG Partners has engaged Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM) to bring a completely new skin (likely glass and stone), public plaza (at third and Folsom), and green overhaul (targeting LEED silver) to the ex-AT&T compound at 680 Folsom. And while it might not seem like a typical SocketSite story, think of it in terms of the (positive) impact on BLŪ and others residences right down the block (or in the neighborhood).
∙ TMG to rehab SoMa buildings as offices [SF Business Times]
∙ 631 Folsom: Recently Christened “SF BLŪ” (And Down To 108 Units) [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 4:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | (email story)
August 6, 2007
The SocketSite Scoop: San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal Designs
Yes, all three proposals include wind turbines on top of their towers; will aim to achieve either Gold or Platinum LEED certification; and plan to rise between 1,100 and 1,350 feet in the air. Other than that, all three aim to redefine "the center of San Francisco" in very different ways. Pictures (and a few details) now, highlights to follow.
From Pelli Clark Pelli Architects/Hines:
Proposed Tower Height: 1,200'
Proposed Tower Use: Commercial (1.6 million square feet; "potential for residential")
Proposed LEED Certification: Gold (possibly Platinum)
From Richard Rogers Partnership/Forest City Enterprises/MacFarlane Partners:
Proposed Tower Height: 1,155' (skyview roof); 1,287' (top of turbine)
Proposed Tower Use: Mixed (600K sq.ft. commercial; 200+ hotel rooms; 200-300 condos)
Proposed LEED Certification: Platinum (tower) / Gold (terminal)
From Skidmore Owings and Merrill/Rockefeller Group Development Corporation:
Proposed Tower Height: 1,200' (occupied floor); 1,375' (top of parapet)
Proposed Tower Use: Mixed (31 floors office; 42 floors residential; 8 floors hotel)
Proposed LEED Certification: Platinum
A few more renderings:
Inside the Pelli Clark Pelli design (bus terminal level):
The Richard Rogers design at dusk:
The Skidmore Owings and Merrill proposed tower plaza and terminal entrance:
Note: Design models for all three proposals will be on display to the public Tuesday, August 7th, 2007 from 8 am to 6 pm in the North Light Court at San Francisco City Hall.
∙ Transbay Design Competition: The Revised Schedule And Unveiling [SocketSite]
∙ Transbay Terminal (And Tower) Design Competition: The Teams [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (165) | (email story)
June 12, 2007
An Ode To Offices Or A Rethinking Of Residential?
In February we noted that Miami developer Don Peebles was unloading 250 Brannan, a vacant commercial space which was purchased in March, 2006 for $19.8M and then entitled for 54 uberluxury loft condos. A couple of weeks ago, the deal was done (sale price of $31M) and it will remain office space.
From the Business Times: “Colliers broker Tony Crossley, who represented Peebles, said the city's slow entitlement process gave Peebles a chance to do "reality checks along the way." . . . Crossley doesn't expect to see any more office to residential conversions in this cycle. "I believe residential conversion is over -- we're done," said Crossley.”
∙ JustQuotes: Nope, Not Included In Our "Near-Term Likely" Cii Pipeline [SocketSite]
∙ Peebles unloads SoMa space for $31M [Business Times]
Posted by socketadmin at 3:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | (email story)
May 25, 2007
Another Office To Hotel/Condo Conversion: 140 New Montgomery
A “plugged-in” tipster notes the news that Wilson Meany Sullivan is in contract to purchase the 26-story Pacific Telephone Building at 140 New Montgomery for $345 a square foot with plans to spend an additional $500 a square foot converting it from an office building to “a five-star hotel and condominium tower, with a spa, restaurant and bar.”
Architecture firm Hornberger + Worstell has been hired as project architect, along with historic preservation specialists Page & Turnbull. Plant Construction Co. will be the contractor on the project. Mark Hornberger, a principal with Hornberger + Worstell, said the light gray terra cotta tapered skyscraper is a "wonderful historic landmark property and we want to be very careful about the work we do." He said the building could support about 100 residences and 70 to 80 hotel rooms and would be "more intimate than the St. Regis with an even higher level of service." The deal includes a 441-space, eight-level parking garage on Natoma Street behind the Pacific Telephone Building.
The Jazz Age building was designed by Timothy Pflueger -- who also designed 450 Sutter St., the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange and the I. Magnin building -- and was considered radically contemporary when constructed. The building, with 13-foot terra-cotta eagles perched on its four corners, retains many of its original detailing, including the black marble lobby and bronze elevator doors, wood-paneled board rooms with working fireplaces.
And on a side note, our tipster is led to wonder: “What happened to the word deluxe? Is 'luxe' a level higher, has deluxe become dated - reserved for 'mid-century' descriptions? Did marketers feel a need to invent another word - like world-class (which thru overuse now has no impact?)” [Cue the Jeffersons theme song.]
∙ S.F. tower to become luxe hotel [San Francisco Business Times]
∙ Pacific Telephone Building gets heavy interest from developers [SFGate]
Posted by socketadmin at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | (email story)
May 3, 2007
Seven Hundred Fewer Condos In The San Francisco Pipeline
Speaking of supply and demand, over the past month at least 700 potential condominiums have been pulled from the San Francisco housing pipeline (and our Complete Inventory Index).
The dead projects range from Pulte’s abandonment of plans to raze the San Francisco Tennis Club and build ~500 condos (“Pulte’s decision was driven by ongoing discussions with the Western SoMa Task Force, a neighborhood planning group that is studying rezoning in the area…”), to Ray Tonsing’s decision not to convert 153 Kearny from office space into the approved 45 condominium lofts (think "growing tech companies paying more for downtown space").
And then there’s Urban Realty’s decision to drop 189 potential condominiums from their Mid-Market development on Market Street between fifth and sixth. Now exclusively slated for 265,000 of retail, it’s this property that has been at the center of “Target in the city” rumors for quite some time. Perhaps a plugged-in reader would be willing to share the inside scoop...
∙ SocketSite’s Complete Inventory Index (CII): Q1 2007 [SocketSite]
∙ First Game Pulte (But Many Sets To Go) [SocketSite]
∙ Pulte drops condo plan for S.F. tennis club site [Business Times]
∙ Big Mid-Market project gets housing lopped off [Business Times]
Posted by socketadmin at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (37) | (email story)
May 2, 2007
Mint Plaza: Approved, Moving Forward, And Coming Soon
As we wrote five months ago: “If all goes as proposed, the ‘290-by 54-foot-wide portion of Jessie Street extending between 5th Street and Mint Street’ (off Mission) will be transformed into Mint Plaza – an automobile free pedestrian plaza lined by cafés, restaurants, and bars.”
And as we write today: the plan has been approved, the street should be closed in two weeks, construction should begin by the end of the month, and we (San Francisco that is) should have a new pedestrian plaza by the end of September.
And as you might have already heard, Chez Papa is definitely coming to the plaza (replacing what is now the Mint Lounge at 414 Jessie). And as far as we know (although we're sure some plugged-in reader knows better), the Castillo family (think Limon in the Mission) remains in discussions to open a nuevo-Peruvian place on the plaza as well (418 Jessie).
In related news, the Mint Collection (a.k.a. Mint Lofts) sales office has officially opened its doors to the public.
∙ Mint Plaza (And Livable City) [SocketSite]
∙ Mint Plaza [San Francisco]
∙ The Mint Lofts: The SocketSite Scoop, Update And (Some) Pricing [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (12) | (email story)
April 30, 2007
A Reader Reports: Landmark Sarcasm (We Can Only Hope)
A reader photographs and reports:
Your posting "not for the faint of heart" reminded me about the run-down, boarded up theater in North Beach, opposite the beautiful Washington Square park. What an eyesore! Is this another…landmark? I work nearby, and I heard rumors that efforts to make it a Walgreens or Rite Aid failed miserably. So now we're stuck with this!
And we wonder: anybody have the inside scoop on what’s in the works (if anything)?
UPDATE: According to a seriously plugged-in reader, that would be a Rite-Aid, taqueria, formula retail and “[a]s of April 2005, the new owners wanted to tear the 98-year-old (now 100-year-old) place down and build something on the site. Uh. Oh. Stalemate.”
∙ Not For The Faint Of Heart (Or Wallet): Landmark Edition [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | (email story)
March 14, 2007
Picture This: One Big One-Bedroom
At first blush, $3,750,000 for a one-bedroom might seem a wee bit over the top. (Yes, even in San Francisco.) But this isn’t just any one bedroom, it’s the 8,200 square foot BIG HOUSE studio. It’s one hell of a live/work space. Or at the very least, a bachelor car collector's dream come true (think indoor parking).
∙ Listing: 1417 15th Street (1/2.5) - $3,750,000 [Zephyr] [Virtual Tour]
∙ BIG HOUSE studio [bighousestudio.com]
Posted by socketadmin at 4:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | (email story)
March 12, 2007
The Modern Makeover And Façade Of 185 Post
And yet another “plugged in” tipster captures 185 Post’s glass wrapped makeover by Brand + Allen Architects taking shape. It's a modern aesthetic without the edginess of the controversial Koolhass design that was once destined for the location.
∙ Ghostly restoration of 1908 building would be the newest thing in town [SFGate]
∙ John King Does Rem Koolhaas [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | (email story)
March 1, 2007
The Soma Grand: The SocketSite Straight Scoop
The Soma Grand christened their sales office at 1085 Mission with a packed Friends and Family event last night. We were lucky enough to score an invitation. And smart bold enough to ferret out the straight scoop:
∙ While March 7th marks the VIP grand opening, the first official release (and actual taking of deposits) isn’t expected to kickoff until mid-April. (And a blowout "Rincon style" launch party is tentatively planned for May 2nd.)
∙ The first year of twice-monthly housekeeping service is included in the purchase price, but a la carte thereafter. Yoga, car service, and massage (in the "private studio [or] meditation garden") are a la carte from the get go. Monthly HOA fees are expected to run under $600/month.
∙ And while an official price list still hasn’t been released, an insider assures us they’re shooting for an average of $600-$800 a square foot (depending upon unit size/floor).
And of course, the extra special SocketSite scoop for our “plugged in” people: rumor has it the developers are in discussions with Charles Phan (of Slanted Door fame) to develop a new dining concept for the larger of their two ground floor retail spaces.
UPDATE: We’re blaming one too many “Soma Gs” for the fact that we failed to get the scoop on parking. We do know there is room for 504 cars in the Soma Grand garage, but we honestly don’t know how the spaces are being allocated or priced (yet).
UPDATE (3/5): According to the developer, “everyone with a unit should be able to park a car, whether its deeded, assigned, or valet is still in the works.” As always, details when we have them.
∙ It’s All About Service And Style At The Soma Grand (1160 Mission) [SocketSite]
∙ The Soma Grand: Topped Off And VIP Opening March 7 [SocketSite]
∙ The Slanted Door: Biographies [slanteddoor.com]
Posted by socketadmin at 6:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (108) | (email story)
January 10, 2007
From (Proposed) Condos To Kink
Kink.com (a local internet fetish company) has purchased the San Francisco Armory (1800 Mission) for $14.5 million and “intends to use the building for [their] core business of producing adult movies for internet distribution.” So much for those proposed condos.
∙ San Francisco Armory Pictures and Floor Plans [SFArmory.com]
∙ The New Pornographers [7x7 San Francisco]
∙ Mission Armory Redux? [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (32) | (email story)
December 21, 2006
They Just Keep Getting Bigger, And Bigger, And Bigger...
J.K. Dineen at the San Francisco Business Times has the scoop on a proposed “1,200-foot tower at First and Mission streets, part of a quartet of astoundingly ambitious buildings being designed by superstar architect Renzo Piano."
The proposed building, which would dwarf any existing buildings on the West Coast, would be part of a 2.9 million-square-foot development that would include 600 condominiums, 470 hotel rooms, and more than 520,000 square feet of office space, according to an application filed Dec. 21 with the city.
The 1,200-foot proposed skyscraper, which would be the third tallest building in the United States, would lag only Chicago's Sears Tower, which is 1,450 feet, and New York's Empire State Building at 1,250 feet. San Francisco's tallest current building is the Transamerica Pyramid, which is 853 feet tall.
For additional perspective, that’s about twice the height of either the Millennium Tower or One Rincon Hill (and 200 feet taller than the proposed Transbay Terminal skyscraper).
∙ Massive new project being proposed for San Francisco [bizjournals]
∙ Millennium Tower San Francisco (301 Mission): Interest List [SocketSite]
∙ The Tallest Residential Tower West Of The Mississippi Los Angeles! [SocketSite]
∙ We're Thinking Gehry (No, Not Geary) [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (159) | (email story)
December 18, 2006
Not For The Faint Of Heart (Or Wallet)
The “Italianate Victorian Fixer” at 1232 Treat is not for the faint of heart (or wallet). Seriously. We’re talking about a single family house that's been carved up into five units with two additional units over the carriage house out back (think commercial financing), two protected tenants and two vacancies, and quite a bit of deferred maintenance.
At the same time, we’re talking about an interesting pedigree (built in 1885 by John McCarthy, the masonry contractor who built the Palace Hotel and Mills Building), some beautiful original detailing, and intriguing “bones.”
UPDATE (1/16): The asking price has been reduced to $1,099,000, and as the agent notes, “[t]he property is squarely located *across* the street from Garfield Square Park.” (And a new “soccer field, children's playground and…security cameras installed by the City.”)
∙ Listing: 1232 Treat (7 units) - $1,199,000 [1232treat.net] [Property Statement (pdf)]
Posted by socketadmin at 12:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | (email story)
September 13, 2006
Proposed SF Cruise Ship Terminal Sunk
A couple of important questions now that the Port of San Francisco has pulled the plug on the proposed Cruise Ship Terminal project at Piers 30-32:
1. How will the loss of the proposed retail, restaurants, cinema, and promenades affect property values in nearby developments?
2. How will this affect development of the Brannan Street Wharf (57,000 sqft public park)?
3. How long will it be before a class action suit is filed by owners at the Watermark...
∙ Soaring costs sink cruise ship terminal plan [Examiner]
∙ Bryant Street Pier Overview [bryantstreetpier.com]
∙ A Class Action Suit At The Metropolitan? [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | (email story)
July 11, 2006
Going Once, Going Twice…
Somehow we missed it when the price on 1200 Indiana was reduced another $200,000 (so many reductions, so little time…), and now it just might be too late. As Greg & Garrett note, it’s back in contract. [We just hope the new buyers aren’t counting on that $11,500 per month in rent to cover the mortgage, for as we understand it, the current owner is effectively “renting” to himself (i.e., business expense) and might not have negotiated the best of deals.] Now about that housewarming...
∙ 1200 Indiana: Flip Or Folly? [SocketSite]
∙ Add “Dramatic” To The Guide [SocketSite]
∙ 1200 Indiana--Will it Stay in Escrow??? [Greg & Garrett's]
Posted by socketadmin at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | (email story)
May 26, 2006
A Classic Case Of Tower Envy?
All of a sudden the Rincon Hill towers (400/350 feet) just don’t seem quite so tall (or towering). “A 1,000-foot tower, as well as two 800-foot towers, were proposed Thursday for the area around the Transbay Terminal, as The City moves forward with the rebuilding of the aging bus station at First and Mission streets and the development of the surrounding neighborhood.” At one thousand feet, that’s 147 feet taller than the Transamerica Pyramid (853 feet) and 221 feet taller than the Bank of America building (779 feet).
Champions of the proposal cite both the financial (an additional $250 million in revenue to help subsidize the $3.35 billion Transbay Terminal project) and the aesthetic (“The City’s flat undulating skyline would be significantly enhanced by a higher crown to emphasize its core, at the heart of The City’s activity”) impact on the city. (Opponents have yet to rally.)
Which really only leaves one question: will we be getting more comments from pissed off San Franciscans about that “significantly enhanced” line or from indignant New Yorkers who can’t believe “City” was capitalized?
∙ Spoiler Alert: One Rincon Hill Video [SocketSite]
∙ City eyes raising tallest building on the West Coast [Examiner]
∙ S.F. planners have high hopes for new center of downtown [SFGate]
Posted by socketadmin at 7:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | (email story)
May 1, 2006
Commercial Green Building Tour: May 2nd
The San Francisco Department of the Environment is sponsoring a tour of Swinerton Headquarters (260 Townsend), a LEED (Gold) certified building.
The building is equipped with fully digital building management system, advanced lighting system, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, and a cool roof. Materials throughout the building were selected to maximize recycled content with a minimum amount of volatile organic compounds.
The tour will be held from noon to 1pm on May 2nd, $10.98 per person and pre-registration is required (online). More information by calling (415) 355-3718.
∙ San Francisco Department of the Environment [SF Environment]
Posted by socketadmin at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | (email story)
April 19, 2006
Everything’s A Buck Thousand!
Is the market changing and you're unsure how to price a commercial property? Well, you could just list it for $1,000 and then add this clever little addendum: “Listing price is not $1,000 -- IT IS NEGOTIABLE”. Coming soon to a residential listing near you?
∙ Listing: 799 Van Ness (Commercial) [MLS]
∙ Listing: 1415 Van Ness (Commercial) [MLS]
Posted by socketadmin at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | (email story)
March 29, 2006
Adam Grant Condos: 114 Sansome St.
The 14-story Adam Grant building at 114 Sansome is going condo. Class A commercial condo that is. That’s right, you can now own your office space. And for those who might find this old news, we also offer the lineup for their Grand Opening this week:
Welcoming escorts; catering by MeMe Pederson; professional billiards player, Jeanette Lee (aka “the Black Widow”) challenging guests to games; a complementary Cigar Lounge hosted by Sherlock’s Haven; and a full bar + wine tasting bar by Niebaum-Coppola.
Now that’s an opening. And the real question, other than whether or not we’re going invited, is: how long before all the new residential condo buildings are forced to start following suit?
∙ Adam Grant Condos [adamgrantcondos.com]
∙ The Adam Grant Building [emporis]
∙ Miami Investment Group Purchases 114 Sansome St... [grubb-ellis]
Posted by socketadmin at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | (email story)
February 22, 2006
706 Mission Sold And Mission Bay Booming
Add the 10-story office building at 706 Mission St. to the list of “older, smaller office structures snapped up by luxury housing developers” over the past couple of years (others include “the former Chronicle building at 690 Market St.; 333 Grant Ave.; 74 New Montgomery St.; and 201 Sansome St.”). And although it hasn’t been confirmed, “sources with knowledge of the deal said the developer wants to build a mixed-use housing and retail development”.
According to the San Francisco Business Times, while 16 developers made offers on the property, “about half the bidders were interested in converting the building to housing, but perhaps more surprisingly, about half saw its promise as a revamped Class B office building.” And while “the conventional wisdom in real estate circles has been that the conversion market is slowing down” architect Dan Huntsman offers the following: “We are still getting contacted literally every week by people who want to do these projects".
And a little to the South, the Mission Bay area continues to boom with “more than 1,000 residential units completed and 6,000 more slated for completion within the next 36 months”.
∙ Homes are in and retail seems sure to follow [BizJournal]
∙ Building bagged for condos, with more on the way [BizJournal]
Posted by socketadmin at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | (email story)
February 9, 2006
Are Ikkyu’s Days Numbered?
Rumor on the street is that the Japan Center (a “five-acre complex of hotels, shops, theaters, sushi bars and restaurants at Post and Buchanan Streets”) is up for sale. Yes, the entire thing. Can anybody confirm, elucidate, or debunk?
UPDATE: Uhh, guess this kind of confirms it (that's not too embarrassing...).
∙ Japantown Overview [Merchants Association]
∙ Japantown Experience [New Colonist]
Posted by socketadmin at 10:11 AM | Permalink | (email story)
November 9, 2005
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
“Home Depot received official approval to build a store on Bayshore Boulevard, after a narrow vote by the Board of Supervisors ended years of frustrated attempts by the big-box retailer.” That being said, Supervisor Ammiano vowed “It’s not over yet.”
Come on Tom, at least employ a good catch phrase like “I’ll be back” or “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” As far as we’re concerned, “It’s not over yet” is kind of a dud (as is the threat).
∙ Home Depot gets nod to build in The City [Examiner]
∙ Potential Home (Depot) Wreckers [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 9:26 AM | Permalink | (email story)
October 26, 2005
Potential Home (Depot) Wreckers
The Board of Supervisors is considering an appeal of the Planning Commissions approval for Home Depot's Bayview project.
Specifically, the supervisors were charged with looking at whether the project's environmental impact report -- accepted by the Planning Commission -- was accurate, objective and complete.Paul Maltzer, the Planning Department's environmental review officer, said he is satisfied that the project is environmentally sound and shows no "significant'' problems in such areas as traffic, parking, air pollution and increased demands on city services that should stop it from going forward.
"We've studied this to death, frankly,'' Maltzer told the supervisors.
Despite Maltzer’s expert opinion, Supervisor Ammiano (who represents neighboring Bernal Heights) was quoted as saying, "I see big holes here." We’re not even going there (other than to point out that his quote is not nearly as catchy as “I see dead people”).
∙ Battle over big boxes continues to rage [Chronicle]
∙ Bayview/Bernal Home Depot Update [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 12:10 AM | Permalink | (email story)
October 18, 2005
A Million Here, A Million There
Two months ago we reported on Yahoo’s Letter of Intent to lease 200,000 square feet of prime San Francisco real estate. It now appears that they’re looking for “as much as a million square feet of new office space in the Bay Area to accommodate its rapid expansion.” Enough space to accommodate up to 4,000 new employees.
Thanks to PaidContent.org for bringing it to our attention.
∙ Yahoo seeks 1 million sq. ft. [BusinessJournal]
∙ Yahoo! Coming To The City (Google To Follow) [SocketSite]
Posted by socketadmin at 10:28 AM | Permalink | (email story)
October 3, 2005
Pier Wars
We’d like to believe that we’re such a force in San Francisco that we were singled out as recipients of a very nice voicemail asking us to take a look at the Stop Pier 39 website. But damn, that message sounded suspiciously like a script. Good thing we're pushovers. From the site:
The waterfront should be more than a playground for tourists — it should be a resource for every San Francisco family. But a powerful group of business interests is trying to stop a vitally needed recreation and open space project at Piers 27-31.Piers 27-31 will create Transit First transportation alternatives, including the purchase of additional historic streetcars. It will provide new pedestrian and bicycle routes and will include the largest free City CarShare pod in San Francisco.
Kind of reminds us of West Coast version of NYC's Chelsea Piers (which rocks, and which we miss). And as we assume that this is just one group of “powerful business interests” pointing fingers at another, we weren’t going to take sides. But what the hell...go Piers 27-31!
∙ Piers 27-31: Overview and Background
Posted by socketadmin at 1:49 PM | Permalink | (email story)
September 19, 2005
Movies In The Marina
Closed since October 2001, the Cinema 21 on Chestnut Street will rise like a phoenix from the flames (and in an entirely new light).
The model — hashed out by the property owner, the Marina Merchants Association and the Neighborhood Theater Foundation — uses ground-floor retail as an engine to partially finance the upper-level theaters. In this case a 9,200-square-foot Walgreens will bring in enough rent that the two theaters are not under as much financial pressure, according to Miller.
Two thumbs up. Way up.
· Cinema 21 “Biography” [Cinema Treasures]
· Show will go on at Marina District theater [Examiner]
Posted by socketadmin at 11:45 AM | Permalink | (email story)
August 30, 2005
Yahoo! Coming To The City (Google To Follow)
Looks like Yahoo! has signed a letter of intent for a 200,000 square feet of office space at 475 Sansome Street (and insiders say that Google is looking for 200,000 square feet of San Francisco space as well). According to Commercial Property News, “the [Yahoo!] lease drops the vacancy rate by 0.4 percent, a moderately paltry change in an office market still recovering from the dot-com crash.”
Regardless, expect major employment growth and associated demand for housing. But then again, all our friends that work for Yahoo!/Google already live in the city, so perhaps just expect less traffic on 101/280.
· Yahoo to Lease 200,000-SF Office in San Francisco [CPN Online]
· Yahoo search leads to San Francisco [MSNBC]
Posted by socketadmin at 12:30 PM | Permalink | (email story)
July 13, 2005
Flipping The Bank Of America Building
Last year, San Francisco’s Bank of America Center was sold to a group of New York investors for $825 million. Now, according to the New York Times, “the 52-story reddish-brown granite tower is said to be going on the market again. This time, the sellers are hoping that the price will reach as high as $1.25 billion.”
· Doing Deals While Wary of Bubbles [NYT]
Posted by socketadmin at 2:00 PM | Permalink | (email story)
