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

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Then: $1,695,000
Now: $1,545,000
You Save: $150,000, or 8.8 percent!

Penthouse H at the Toy Factory Lofts has been holding out for quite some time for a buyer at its previous asking price of almost $1.7 mil. It hit the MLS in April of last year, and got delisted a couple months later in June, but it was still getting shopped on Craigslist as late as November. A new year means a new go at it, and with that, a new listing price! A refresher: 2 beds, 2 baths, and 2,428 square feet, the loft belongs to a building converted to residential use by architect James Magni in 1997. We’re still thinking of reader scurvy’s comment from November: “I love lofts and their waste of unused space. This place is kinda hawt.”
· 1 Rausch St Unit H [Redfin]
· On the Market, Sort Of: Toy Factory Loft Penthouse [Curbed SF]
· Head to Head: Old or New? [Curbed SF]

Though local paper Castro Courier had reported that Upper Market’s “hole in the ground” project at 2299 Market was on “indefinite hold” due to (what else?) financing issues, the Duboce Triangle Newsletter said in their most recent issue that the five-story, 18-unit project is actually rumbling forward. To wit, an application for development was submitted to the Planning Department in early November, and should now be moving along the entitlement assembly line. The building, whose team consists of developer Angus McCarthy and architects Ian Birchall and Associates, also has two spaces on the street level for retail, and 19 parking spots underground. About half a year ago, the Bay Area Reporter reported the team had begun meeting with neighborhood groups, and much talk was had over a rendering that depicted a hypothetical Apple store. ‘Course, there was no word whatsoever that the iGiant was even interested, but anyway: Apple store Apple store Apple store! (The Apple’s gone from the rendering now, if only not to get too distracting.)
· Duboce Triangle Newsletter Dec 09 – Jan 10 (PDF) [DTNA]
· Castro housing projects inch forward [BAR]

The California Legislative Analyst’s Office says the high-speed rail’s business plan kind of sucks on a few key fronts: discussion of potential risks in low ridership and funding, and setting milestones that progress could be measured against. Not very nice words for the rail authority to be hearing, after having to announce an updated plan with lower ridership numbers— but their spokesperson says the fuzziness is a natural result of being a bit early in the process, and they’ll “continue to refine the plan.” [SFBT, previously]

By the way, in our comparatively little world of San Francisco buildings and neighborhoods, it can be easy to forget sometimes there’s other stuff going on out there — like an earthquake that’s killed tens of thousands, if not over a hundred thousand, in Haiti. We can help from the comfort of our own desks. Donate to Red Cross on their website, or text “HAITI” to 90999 to automatically donate $10 from your cell phone account. And a little more up our alley, there’s also Architecture for Humanity, which looks to be involved in long term reconstruction. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. [Google News, White House, Architecture for Humanity]

Following the example of Union Street, 24th Street in Noe Valley’s getting in line to see if they can take the cap off their restaurant population, seeing as how it’s led in recent days to “nearly 15 vacant storefronts.” According the manager of the now-shuttered Streetlight Records there, the cap on restaurants — three max! — was probably a precursor to our chain ban, and also a reaction against possible gentrification. But now, he says, “the area is gentrified.” Milk: spilt! Might as well lift the ban and allow restaurants back in? The move began, believe it or not, four years ago when business owners and residents saw all the hot stuff going down at Valencia, with little to no action on 24th (that’s also when the Planning Commission decided they’d allow three restaurants on 24th). The new proposal would allow an unlimited number of restaurants on 24th, as long as they each get a conditional use permit from the city. The Planning Commission hears the proposal later today.
· Blocks hungry to fill storefronts with eateries [SFGate]
· New Restos for Union Street, Frat Boys Still Not Welcome [Curbed SF]

[Liz Hickok]

· Jell-O update: San Francisco model, now mold-infested! [iihih]
· A list of those business fees the supes want to kill [SF Weekly]
· Market Street car diversion switches blocks a bit [Streetsblog]
· Sausalito nixes Peet’s over chain fears [Bay Area]
· The guy who decided not to ride in a car for a year [TIME]
· Port takes parking lot management away from restaurants [City Insider]

Following November’s announcement that the Infinity had sold out its first tower, the rest of Phase I has followed. The remaining units in Phase I’s two mid-rise buildings have closed, finishing off a total of 365 units. According to developer Tishman Speyer, only 25 condos remain in Tower II. [Curbed Inbox, previously]

The rest of this 5-bedroom house in Ingleside Terrace looks more or less how houses come, but damned if this one room doesn’t exactly simulate the feeling of walking into Strawberry Shortcake on the street. We mean the girl with the puffy velour hat, not the delicious dessert, but take your pick, really.
· 201 Ashton Ave [Redfin]

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Today’s episode of Construction Watch comes courtesy of Curbed SF Flickr Pool contributor mumflwr and the Chinatown YMCA’s own Flickr account. The ED2 International-designed project, which involves a new three-story east wing and a four-story rear addition to the existing building at 855 Sacramento, actually doesn’t look too different compared to its September state. That left side of the addition has definitely risen a bit, though, and there’s still several months to go before their targeted opening in fall 2010. Godspeed, YMCA.
· ConstructionWatch: Chinatown YMCA Still Chugging Along [Curbed SF]
· Chinatown YMCA To be Tuned, Nipped and Tucked [Curbed SF]

Barneys is going to end up losing their sub-sidewalk perfume basement to the Central Subway after all. The department store was appealing the city’s move to take back the space — well, revoking the store’s permit, anyway — saying that no one ever told them the space would be needed for the Central Subway. Which led to Barneys sinking millions into the restoration of the space. The Board of Supes voted unanimously to reject the retailer’s appeal, so like it or not, those Central Subway trains are going in. [SF Examiner, previously]