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

After weeks of publicly floating ideas ranging from sponsored benches and hot dog vendors to campouts in the park, the Rec & Park Commission voted unanimously last night to open the doors to such budget-saving possibilities. The vote also included 45 job cuts, shaving about $2 million from the budget. Meanwhile, their new-revenue brainstorms could end up netting the parks department $9 million in new money. Brace for “Night Glow golf course.” [SF Examiner, previously]

Following a Richmond SF Blog report on the sad state of the Alexandria Theater, the SF Appeal today has even more about the 1923 art deco building. No doubt the glorious theaters of days past no longer have the same allure — check the Pagoda, New Mission, and Harding — and the Alexandria’s no different. The developer, Alexandria Enterprises, currently plans a 46-unit mixed-use building for the theater’s parking lot, while the theater isn’t on any track to be returned to entertainment use. Instead, it follows in the footsteps of other theaters that have been turned into gyms — the YMCA from across the street’s got dibs. Six years after the theater’s closure, however, letters are still “ping-ponging” between the planning department and the developers. Meanwhile, “people were sleeping in there, cooking, urinating and defecating. Sounds like the inside is a goner.” A moment of silence, please.
· “Blight” of Unrenovated Alexandria Theater [SF Appeal]
· What to do with the Alexandria Theater? [Richmond SF]

[Photo via Flickr/Thomas Hawk]

The New York Times has a little more on Google’s development aspirations, or what they’re saying is a spin on the company-town tradition of yore. Over the last year, the value of Mountain View land has grown by 6.2 percent, higher than anywhere else in the country — thanks to Google. Now the company’s looking at building five-story residential towers in the North Bayshore area, or hooking up with NASA for developing a mixed-use project set to break ground in 2013. And still ahead looms that transit system of whizzing pods. Hold on tight, Mountain View. [NYT, previously]

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

Victorian buildings don’t seem to come in triple-XL very often, which makes 1527 O’Farrell in the Western Addition special for that one reason: it’s like living in a big SoMa development with crown molding. The more things change, the more they stay the same, eh? On the MLS is a 3-bed, 2-bath condo in this “magnificent” building, with 1,624 square feet and a “completely remodeled” eat-in kitchen with walk-in pantry. Also, a pretty spacious-looking private deck. HOA fee is $440, and the condo’s going for $799,000 (compare to its 2005 price of $760k).
· 1527 O’Farrell St [Redfin]

Some fun facts about the Shannon-Kavanaugh House, a.k.a. the “Full House” house, which hit the MLS earlier this month: the current owner, Michael Shannon, bought it for $65,000 back in 1975. “‘I took possession in 1976, but didn’t really take full possession because there were so many hippies living here,’ says Shannon while sitting in the parlor. ‘There were about 30 living in this room.’ Nothing budged them until Shannon spread a rumor that the FBI was coming by for a search. ‘They were gone by the end of the day.’ ” Oh, hippies. [SFGate, previously]

The plan to spruce up the Ferry Building’s concrete backyard with a pedestrianized “great urban place” was, as the SF Examiner reported back in December, married to 65 new parking spots. Those parking spots have been axed following perhaps a predictable outcry from pedestrian and cycling advocates (pictured making out to the right) and nonprofit Livable City. Though presumably they’re doing just fine now without the 65 extra spots, some number of Ferry Building merchants are “hopping mad” about the loss of new parking in the plan. Says one: “If you’re carrying six bags of groceries, you’re not thinking about catching a bus.” A Port planner notes that “in the face of these kinds of controversies, we need some kind of demonstration that parking is necessary.” Meanwhile, Livable City says their goal is just a more “walkable and bikeable Embarcadero.”
· Parking at Ferry Plaza nixed [SF Examiner]
· Ferry Plaza Going More Pedestrian, But Also Getting More Parking [Curbed SF]

["do you, bokeh?" via Curbed SF Flickr photog areacode]

· A possible charter school for the Mission [Mission Loc@l]
· ZipRealty’s iPhone app goes augmented reality [Website]
· AvalonBay starts up construction engine againe [Bloomberg]
· Home construction’s “better than expected” increase [SFGate]
· Inside Facebook’s “grown up” headquarters [Fast Company]
· Google’s gigabit net might only be for a neighborhood [The Snitch]
· Plant Cafe Organic’s one of city’s most sustainable restos [ANP]
· Cash crunch chould shutter Rohnert Park’s arts center [Press Dem]

Gentle Curbed SF visitor, you dig San Francisco’s buildings, and you like gawking at the insides of Victorians as much as brick-and-timber lofts — but perhaps don’t always remember to click that bookmark. The Curbed SF newsletter solves that problem, hitting your inbox every Wednesday and Friday with the top stories of the last couple days. Refresh-button addicts may move along, all others enter your email below for instant nirvana.

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On the market for two weeks now, 2145 Powell is a set of two buildings on one parcel, redone this year under the design guidance of famed local firm IwamotoScott. The two tenancies in common make a bit of an odd couple: one, a restored 2-bed, 2-bath building with 2,450 square feet, goes for $1,500,000 and includes a ground-level commercial space. The other, way more contemporary, is 1-bed, 1.5-bath, 1,150 square feet, and is asking $1,149,000. They have parking, though it’s leased at a price of $170.

Update: As Guest 7 notes, there are even more (and nicer) photos at IwamotoScott’s Flickr account of what they call the PS House.

· 2145 Powell St [Vanguard]
· 2145 Powell St [Vanguard]

The other kind of hard sell— mirroring downturns everywhere, the South Bay town revved up Operation “Destination Palo Alto” in late 2008 to get people to stick around from Friday to Sunday. It’s not clear what kind of attractions they hoped would help them achieve that goal, but hotel occupancy fell by 13 percent in 2009. There’s always a bright side: “Because of Destination Palo Alto, our hotel occupancy numbers didn’t fall as far as they could have.” Might we suggest some kind of gaudy Facebook-related theme park? [WSJ]