NNN Brokers USA – San Francisco Commercial Real Estate Brokers: "The Scoop"

Senator Barbara Boxer recently sent out an email blast about Angel Island (we tried to find a copy on her website, but FAIL) about her ongoing legislation to spend $1 million in upgrades on the state park in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The money would be spent on setting up “a museum and facility for administrative, interpretative, and genealogical research,” since the hospital on the island used to process immigrants (and in some cases, horribly detain them for months or even years).

Elsewhere, Senator Boxer is advocating for clean energy and sniping at an already-floundering election opponent. Go get ‘em, Ma’am!
· Fiorina failed to register business, foundation [SF Gate]
· Moving America toward a Clean Energy Economy and Reducing Global Warming Pollution: Legislative Tools [US Senate]
· Boxer takes preemptive shot at opponent [The Hill]
· Barbara Boxer faces ‘challenge of a lifetime’ on bill [Reno G-J]

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

It’s a party! Architecture and design firm Gensler is celebrating the opening of the first six gates of the Terminal B Concourse at the Mineta San Jose International Airport that opened today. The 380,000 square foot, $342 million concourse is the first portion of the airport’s extensive $1.3 billion modernization program, according to a press release. “In the Terminal B Concourse, we wanted to express the region’s leadership in technology and innovation, and also establish a signature identity for the airport and the city of San Jose,” said Steve Weindel, a principal at Gensler and project designer. “The indoor-outdoor architecture captures the San Jose lifestyle, and will give travelers a tangible sense of the region, even while they’re inside the airport.” The terminal is fixin’ to meet the U.S. Building Council’s LEED certification standards. Pretty nifty.
· Mineta San José International Airport – SJC [flysanjose.com]
· Gensler [Official Site]

We’ve got some good news for the condo community. It’s official (according to Intracorp): The Hayes has sold out in Hayes Valley. The building has 111 residences that range from studios to two-bedrooms in a compact 8-story mid-rise. Arterra in Mission Bay is also part of the Intracorp family, and it’s at 75% sold. Perhaps it’s because it’s the city’s first “green” residential high-rise, striving to get its LEED-Silver certification? Or maybe it’s just because these units are priced accordingly. “We’re extremely pleased to have closed out The Hayes,” said Intracorp San Francisco president Dean Givas.” Congrats, Intracorp! [CurbedWire]

[Penthouse Teaser from steelblue on Vimeo]

Ah, yes, the St. Regis penthouse. Not ringing a bell? Let Curbed refresh your memory: it’s the penthouse that originally was listed for a mind numbing $70 trillion dollars (it was actually $70 million, but whatever). Shoot forward a few months and it got an extreme chop in the amount of $21M, bringing it down to the completely reasonable price of $49M buckaroos. The unit will be (it isn’t finished with construction yet) a 6-bed, 6-full bath, 4-half bath penthouse that clocks in at 20,000 square feet. It has fancy features like granite countertops and hi-speed internet. It also has a tub in the master suite that is bigger than our damned apartment. Anyway, now you can take a virtual tour via some render porn that just came out. Take a peak above.
· St. Regis Penthouse Animation, Reality A Couple Months Out [SocketSite]
· On the Market: $70 Million Mindfuck at the Saint Regis [Curbed SF]
· PriceChopper Extreme: $21 Mil Off [Curbed SF]
· St. Regis Penthouse [Sotheby's]

Oakland! The parking drama! When a city is contemplating bankruptcy, it has to exercise any way to get cash money. Oakland raised the price of parking tickets, extended meter times to 8p.m. and is more aggressively enforcing parking violations, including in residential neighborhoods. And the residents and business owners? “I’m pissed,” said Alan Michaan, owner of the Grand Lake Theatre, who adjusted his trademark marquee to spell out “the City Council will finish destroying our shopping districts!” Council member Pat Kernighan said “We don’t want to have to cut deeper into public services, so we are faced with having to raise revenues,” she said. “One of the few legal ways the city has of raising revenues is of increasing fines and fees.” [SF Gate]

["Sutro Forest," courtesy Flickr user Octoferret]

· Rubber Duckies: Future of Real Estate [Mission Mission]
· Levi’s: Running the MTA [SF Appeal]
· Oakland: Trying to Fix Problems [A Better Oakland]
· Pretty Noe Valley Rainbow [Noe Valley Buzz]
· Expedia! Better Late Than Never [SF Gate]

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

Then: $799,000
Now: $759,000
You Save: $40,000
Last month we shared what we thought was the city’s cheapest micro-condo on the market. Shoot forward to present day and another unit in the same building has been sitting untouched on the market for 21 days and finally decided to give itself a hearty chop. Sure, this 1-bed, 1-bath unit has a prime location (if you’re into downtown livin’), but $759,000 is still a lot of cash money. Especially considering the $844 HOA monthly dues. $844, really? And there isn’t even a shared hot tub! You do get a nice private balcony to smoke your cigarettes in peace on, but can we please just rant for a quick second: developers, please, dear God, stop making teeny tiny condos with windowless bathrooms. It just isn’t right. In addition to all the hooplala we just mentioned, you also get a fancy (and tiny) kitchen with all the gadgets you need to reheat your takeout. We’re loving the beautiful hardwood floors and exposed brick. And please, tell us in the comments how much you love the window in the bedroom. Isn’t it just gorgeous?
· 333 Grant [SF Curbed]
· 333 Grant [Redfin]

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

This past weekend we were out sailing and decided to take a quick detour around Treasure Island so that we could snap some photos of the bridge construction. We only had our iPhone camera, so pardon the low quality of the photos. Regardless, we’re loving the old and the new bridges. They’re beauties, aren’t they?

Back in January, the American Lung Association gave the city of Richmond an “F” rating on the smoking laws within city. City leaders didn’t like that, so they’re gone and banned smoking in apartments and condos. Officials say that secondhand smoke can travel between apartments. The city had already banned smoking in parks, farmers markets and other public places. Richmond! At least it’s getting something right. [CBS 5]

What do we think of this SF Natoma building — yay or nay? (More photos here.) It is not a Victorian, which means that it is worse than Hitler; but maybe it’s so futuristic that maybe it knows something about architecture that we have yet to discover. And how about that perforated metal sheet over the windows? It’s meant to create “shade and privacy,” but ugh, it’s like hanging a big “GO AWAY” sign on your neighborhood. [Yanko Design]