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

“Ugwardian” -Bluntcard [That’s An Edwardian?}

“We’ve learned our lesson.” We’ve never been sure what SFGo actually does, but pretty much the entire planet is hating their blinking, free-way style signs directing motorists to parking for events. Especially since the signs aren’t programmed for multiple messages like “no cars in the bike lane” and “buy local produce”. [BikeNoPa]

The scuttlebutt in the Richmond is that plans to reopen the deserted Albertson’s lot at 32nd and Clement Streets might finally be moving forward. According to accounts in the Richmond Review newspaper and the Richmond SF blog, representatives of mega-pharmacy chain CVS Caremark were on hand at a well-attended community meeting in late June to discuss their planned tenancy at the 36,500-foot site.

Originally, after Albertson’s abrupt departure in 2006, the site was leased by Fresh & Easy, a grocery chain with sites in Southern California and other locations. Fresh & Easy also had plans to open a store in the Bayview, but pulled back on all of their planned expansions after the economy headed south in 2008. CVS plans to occupy about half of the site, and has the option of taking over the entire lease if Fresh & Easy fails to open. CVS representatives said they had designed their store to stand alone, and would seek another grocery tenant if the co-location with Fresh & Easy doesn’t work out.
Neighbors seem open to the plan, for the most part, but there are concerns about CVS’ plans to be open 24 hours and to sell alcohol. Jim Argo, president of the Lincoln Park Homeowners Association says his group will fight the 24-hour plan.
For our part, we aren’t really sure the Richmond needs another boring pharmacy, since you can’t walk more than a few blocks in this neighborhood without tripping over a Walgreen’s. Still, the big empty eyesore at 32nd and Clement is kind of a downer, and goodness knows the neighborhood needs a supermarket. It’s just that we were really, really hoping for a Trader Joe’s. Anyone out there ever been to a Fresh & Easy? Tell us about it in the comments.

· Pharmacy Hopes to Open at Site of Closed Clement Market [Richmond Review]
· Update on Plans for CVS Pharmacy at 32nd and Clement [Richmond SF]
· Fresh & Easy Going to Bayview; Tenderloin Still Cold-Shouldered [Curbed SF Archives]
· Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets [Corporate site]

Whale Watching! We’re not talking about the kind in Las Vegas. Take a boat from the Marina (the one with the boats, rather than blonds) out to the Farallon Islands and watch whales as they migrate along the coast. Also dolphins and the occasional Great White shark snacking on sea lion. The expedition boats are fairly small- you get a sense of how really huge the Pacific Ocean and the whales are. Awesome, in that old religious jaw-dropping and wide-eyed meaning, from a mostly open boat for about eight hours. Don’t leave serious sunscreen, hat and sunglasses at home, and bring some wet-weather gear for the splashy moments. [Oceanic Society]

Still trolling Nob Hill: at the Elizabeth, at 901 Powell Street, a classic Edwardian era apartment house from 1912, upwind from the soon-to-be-demolished Fairmont Tower and downslope from the Brocklebank. But for shade-plant collectors, there’s a quirky studio apartment off the main entrance with a terrace nestled up against the curved stairwell, asking $379K. OK, yes that kitchen needs rethinking, but the rest is interesting multi-level space with a wood-burning fireplace and huge french doors. It’s also directly above the Elizabeth garage door, so there’s probably some occasional vibration to accompany the cable car clanging, both of which are free with the $588.00 HOA, but as studio units go, this one’s pretty good.

[Note: the Brocklebank, one of San Francisco's iconic apartment houses thanks to its role in Hitchcock's Vertigo, is a rental building with a long waiting list. Apartments are either one-bedrooms or three-bedrooms. The three's are about 3K square feet.]

· 901 Powell Street, #1 [Redfin]

Really? Well, if the listing agent for 1010 Balboa St. says so . . . To be fair, the listing does point out that “some updating would make this grand 4BR home truly shine.” Indeed, it sure doesn’t look like much from the outside. Moving inside, there’s some nice detail in the living and dining rooms (if you like very dark wood paneling); the kitchen and the one bathroom are beyond blah. And what’s with the ginormous palm tree right smack in the middle of the unlandscaped backyard? On the other hand, $825K for 4 bedrooms at 11th Ave. and Balboa ($427 a square foot) isn’t too bad. Do something about that curb appeal, plan for a complete kitchen remodel and then, maybe, you’ve got something.
· 1010 Balboa St. [Redfin]

“A market the size of Alpha Centauri that’s never been tapped” Finally, a use for parking lots besides vehicular storage. A San Diego company has developed “solar groves” to roof over parking areas with photovoltaic panels. And we all know there’s nothing better than a shaded parking space, especially if it’s powering up the Target we’re about to shop in. For the eco-aware suburbanites among us, they also make carports. [NYTimes Greenblogs via Curbed LA]

What’s not to love about empty lots- full of possibility plus an opportunity for strife with the neighbors. There’s a parking lot (for as long as anyone can remember) just beyond that sweet kiosk, at the pedestrian-unfriendly conjuncture of Powell and California, facing the bulk of the Huntington Hotel, the bleak backside of the Fairmont, tourists dodging cable cars, and cable cars braking. It’s a pedestrian-unfriendly neighborhood with steep streets, no retail, and a surprising number of vintage parking garages that offer little or nothing at street level. OK, there’s the Tonga Room, but how often does one need a fix of Polynesian kitsch and drunken frats? Yours for $6M, on and off the market since February ’09, 770 Powell is for sale with “previously approved” plans for a nine-unit Beaux-Arts style building named The Bentley, also without apparent retail. With the planned reworking of the Powell side of the Fairmont, there’s an opportunity turn this intersection around. Hours of online fun with the bird’s-eye view at Bing maps.

· 770 Powell Street [Redfin]
· 770 Powell Street [Bing Maps, click on aerial view]

Everybody’s economizing these days, but look on the bright side: the luxury life is more attainable than ever! For the bargain price of $1.799 million, you too can own this real-life castle, built in 1870 as the Albion Ale & Porter Brewery. Originally listed in September 2009 for $2.95 million, the price has been reduced several times, most recently on June 23. Okay, there are only two bathrooms, but the property also features panoramic bay and bridge views, as well as an underground spring that produces 10,000 gallons of fresh water a day.
· 881 Innes Avenue [Redfin]
· Former Castle of Beer in Hunter’s Point for Sale [Curbed SF Archives]
· Royal Family Shedding Pounds [ABC News]

Photo by pagedesign
· 2011 Bay to Breakers to Run Dry [SF Chronicle]
· SF Japantown’s Last Hurrah [Bay Citizen]
· How Dangerous is 19th and Dolores? [Mission Loc@l]
· Feds Pull Plug on Cities Green Home Loans [SF Chronicle]
· What Do You Think About the Levi’s Workshop on Valencia? [Mission Mission]
· Transbay Temporary Terminal to Open (and Existing to Close) August 7 [Socketsite]