Laura Waxmann
@laura_waxee
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Business reporter for @sfchronicle : CRE, development, downtown. Formerly @SFBusinessTimes , @sfexaminer , @MLnow , @eltecolotesf . 💌 laura.waxmann @sfchronicle .com
San Francisco
Joined July 2010
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Pinned Tweet
Honored by the first place award from
@CNPAservices
for land use reporting! Shout out to
@MattN365
,
@SVBizJody
& all other hardworking journos out there👏👏
Land-Use Reporting Weeklies:
First:
@SFBusinessTimes
, Laura Waxmann (
@laura_waxee
), Land-Use Reporting, Weeklies: 11,001 - 25,000
Second:
@svbizjournal
, Matthew Niksa (
@MattN365
), Jody Meacham (
@SVBizJody
), Land-Use Reporting, Weeklies: 4,301 - 11,000
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SCOOP:
@salesforce
is pulling out of its remaining space at a San Francisco office tower that carries its name, per a new listing for the property.
SF’s largest employer has given up over 1M SF of office space in the city.
#sanfrancisco
#Salesforce
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574
2K
More than two dozen Valencia Street merchants are blocking the center bike lane, which they say has contributed to revenues plummeting this summer on the corridor. They’re calling for bike lane’s removal and reform at
@SFMTA_Muni
.
#SanFrancisco
@sfchronicle
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681
With a 10-1 vote, the
#SF
Board of Supervisors just approved an effort by Sup.
@DeanPreston
to make permanent a moratorium on evictions related to financial hardship caused by the
#Covid
-19 pandemic.
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Word is out! I'm transitioning from
@SFBusinessTimes
to
@sfchronicle
. I'm excited to continue providing perspective on how shifting real estate/biz dynamics are shaping
#SanFrancisco
's downtown, communities, everyday life during this transformative time.
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Hearing happening now on residential vacancies in San Francisco. Per a city report released today, 10% of the city's housing inventory is vacant — and some 40,500 units sat vacant as of 2019, a number that has been growing steadily since 2013.
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A
#SF
Board of Supervisors committee just killed a charter amendment spearheaded by
@LondonBreed
&
@Ahsha_Safai
to streamline housing production. The proposal was aimed at projects with 25 units+ and would have allowed those that qualify to bypass discretionary review process.
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Joined by housing rights advocates, Donis is calling for reform to the Ellis Act, a 1985 CA law that allows landlords to evict residential tenants when going out of business. They say the law has long been abused by investors looking to acquire rent-controlled housing.
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Sup.
@DeanPreston
just announced that he will ask
#SF
voters in November to amend the state constitution to allow the city to build permanently affordable social housing. Currently, the constitution prohibits the creation of municipally owned housing due to a 1950-era amendment.
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@pitdesi
@salesforce
How is this misleading? They have listed an entire office tower that they lease in San Francisco and that is named after them. Consider subscribing to read the story?
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Reform may be on the way. AB 2050 is pending at State Assembly & would require property owners to “be landlords before they can go out of business,” said attorney Steve Collier. The bill would prevent investors from scooping up buildings & evicting vulnerable tenants, he said.
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A luxury
#housing
tower in
#SanFrancisco
's mid-Market neighborhood has been struggling to fill vacancies in the wake of pandemic.
This month, a $384M loan for NEMA SF facing "imminent default" was sent into special servicing.
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Dozens of people gathered at UN Plaza now carrying signs imprinted with the names of homeless people who have died on the streets of SF in 2018 for an annual vigil. There are more than 240 names this year.
@sfexaminer
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Belated professional news: After 2+ wonderful, extremely FUN, busy years covering my community, I've transitioned from
@sfexaminer
to
@SFBusinessTimes
. I'm excited to bring my voice to a new beat covering Bay Area housing, land use, development. 🔥 tips-> lwaxmann
@bizjournals
.com
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Unreal to think that I’ve been reporting on
#SanFrancisco
for a decade ✍️ It’s been one of my favorite adventures.
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This is important: THOUSANDS of Bayview Hunters Point residents (current/former) sued over botched toxic cleanup at shipyard in 2018 & sought $1B+ in damages. Shipyard developers (one of defendants in ongoing lawsuit) tried to settle for just over $5M. A judge rejected the deal.
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SF leaders just voted to approve allocating $6M annually to set rents across the city's some 8k supportive housing units-used to house its most vulnerable residents-at 30% of tenant's incomes.
Until now, some were paying as much as 50% of their incomes for rent.
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NEW: Amid growing concerns over Florida’s political climate, the National Black Nurses Association has pulled its 2024 conference out of Florida & is moving the event to
#SanFrancisco
. Here's where in the city the conference will be held.👇
@sfchronicle
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"San Francisco, or any large American city, will never be as “safe” as the suburbs many of its present residents grew up in — or Mayberry. It is asking a lot of San Francisco to provide the benefits of a big city but none of its drawbacks."
@EskSF
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Tech cafeteria workers are protesting outside of SF‘s Facebook offices for higher wages, increased benefits and shorter work days.
@sfexaminer
@UniteHereLocal2
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BREAKING: Of the 55 people cited for eating and/or drinking on BART since Oct. 1, 2014, only nine were white.
A majority of the citations - 33 - were handed out to African American riders.
BART data shows police overwhelmingly cite black, Latino riders for eating and drinking
via
@laura_waxee
and
@FitzTheReporter
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New: Organizers of the campaign to place a tax on vacant homes in
#SanFrancisco
say they have enough signatures to qualify it for the November ballot, which they expect to submit to
@SFElections
today.
#housing
#tax
#realestate
#bayarea
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Inaugural piece in
@sfchronicle
: In span of 2 months, 3
#SanFrancisco
office buildings in prime locations sold at discount. The deals are viewed as bellwether of a dam of new investment that's waiting to pour into SF—just not at pre-pandemic price points.
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🚨Scoop: For 2nd time in 5 years, a massive retesting effort has turned up radioactive objects at
#SanFrancisco
's former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, in areas that were already swept of contamination & earmarked for redevelopment years ago.
@sfchronicle
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Just in: Don Ramon's, a beloved Mexican eatery in S.F. that shuttered in SoMa after 40 years last month, will be reopening in the city's Embarcadero Center, where it has found a new home with landlord Boston Properties. Story TK.
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SF city leaders have just announced a $5M investment & emergency order to protect homeless and SRO residents at risk of contracting COVID-19. SROS, shelters will be subject to expanded cleaning efforts, shelter hrs extended & meal delivery programs for SRO tenants expanded.
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Happening now: A growing crowd in front of
#SanFrancisco
’s Ferry Building is chanting “Cease fire now”” and “free Palestine.” Hundreds are gathering here today to protest a variety of issues, from human rights to the environment, in light of the APEC summit.
@sfchronicle
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SCOOP: A closely watched lease deal between
@Uber
and
@OpenAI
(firm @ forefront of
#SanFrancisco
’s burgeoning AI boom) has made it over finish line.
Good news for SF
#office
market: OpenAI is taking more space than anticipated.
@sfchronicle
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Update: YIMBY leader Sonja Trauss was appointed Thursday to an advisory role for the Association of Bay Area Governments, a regional housing agency, amid opposition.
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Just in: A vacant ground-floor office at Mission and 29th Streets that most recently housed a real estate firm will see a second life as a tiny movie theater.
#SanFrancisco
@sfchronicle
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SF's
@TheCoalitionSF
& other homeless advocates have joined a lawsuit filed by Tenderloin businesses & residents seeking to force the city to tackle street cleanliness & homelessness. The groups say they aim to ensure that the interests of Tenderloin's homeless are represented.
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A residential vacancy tax has proven successful in cities like Vancouver and Oakland, which has a fixed flat fee for vacant units triggered based on specified vacancy criteria. An initial estimate for San Francisco is that a vacancy tax could generate between $12M-$61M annually.
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SF educators interrupting board of supes meeting now to call for additional funding for teacher wage hikes and academic programs.
@sfexaminer
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San Francisco Supervisor
@DeanPreston
said Tuesday he wants to take a proposal to tax empty residential units in the city to the voters.
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EXCLUSIVE: A group of San Francisco arts leaders have teamed up with Laurene Powell Jobs on a plan to acquire the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) campus and create a new art school there.
#sanfrancisco
#RealEstate
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SF Housing Organizer Sarah Shortt and City College union leader Jennifer Worley were just arrested after rallying for mental health care at peaceful rally sponsored by city supervisors.
@sfexaminer
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BREAKING: A San Francisco judge has ruled in favor of Prop C, a tax measure to fund childcare and early education. Read story for background.
@sfexaminer
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More than a year has passed since SF community orgs won a long, very public battle to kill a market-rate project dubbed "Monster in the Mission" & replace it with affordable homes. An application filed this week shows that their plan is moving forward.
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Breaking: "Public bank" advocate Jackie Fielder has pulled papers to run against state Sen.
@Scott_Wiener
in 2020.
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D5 Sup.
@DeanPreston
just called for hearing on SFPD's restrain techniques that restrict breathing and blood flow and "pose a serious risk of injury or death." He's also working on legislation specifically banning the "knee-to-neck" technique "used to kill George Floyd."
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NEW:
#SanFrancisco
's top leaders have agreed to cut affordable housing requirements on developers by roughly half and roll back "impact" fees by a third in a bid to jump-start housing development after the pandemic.
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Supervisor
@DeanPreston
, who called for the hearing, called the data "eye-opening metrics that show failure in housing policy" and "necessitates policy intervention." The report explores a vacancy tax approach.
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Dave Chapelle says he’s celebrated important milestones in his life at the Punch Line.
@sfexaminer
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@SandraLeeFewer
just yelled “F*** the POA,” referring to SF’s police union, which dropped hundreds of thousands of dollars into the DA race.
@HillaryRonen
says SF is done with criminalizing poverty and “done with a system rigged for a bunch of f***ing white men.”
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New: Westfield Mall's owners expressed concerns for years over the long-term viability of Nordstrom's store & even explored redeveloping the mall.
"The City has been eager to get a concrete plan from them that we could explore, however they never brought us anything for review."
Latest with
@laura_waxee
: Why real estate, biz leaders aren’t surprised at
@Nordstrom
’s
#SanFrancisco
exit, and what happens next
#retail
$JWN
@nordstromrack
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Happening now: Dozens of people are "protecting" Valencia St. bike lane from cars that they say often block lane, endangering cyclists
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The proposal was aiming to qualify for the 2022 ballot & would have required market-rate developers build 15% more affordable units than is required by the city —it would have applied to all 100% affordable projects.
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Friends, colleagues, supporters of Jeff Adachi are marching en route to City Hall. There is a sense of community- like old friends who haven't seen eachother in a while.
@sfexaminer
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#SF
rain is not deterring young gun control advocates. Hundreds have walked out of schools across The City and are en route to City Hall.
@sfexaminer
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Assemblymember David Chiu calls for abolishment of ICE after protesters interrupt speech on Trump's Immigration policies, yelling "Do your job!"
@sfexaminer
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“Carson, Trump, you’re the reason we sleep outside.” Protesters have gathered outside of public housing development in Potrero Hill, which HUD Sec. Ben Carson is expected to tour shortly.
@sfexaminer
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“We knew that the early results were going to skew conservative. We were hoping to be close within 10 points. Five is right where we want to be,” said
@chesaboudin
upon arriving at his election party.
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7
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Hundreds of people gathering in front of SF Public Defenders Office now to honor longtime Public Defender Jeff Adachi, who died Friday night.
@sfexaminer
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#SF
Sup.
@DeanPreston
just called for a public hearing on residential vacancies, which he described as a "mushrooming problem and opportunity."
He said that much of conversation on housing in the city has been "dominated" by production, but no one is talking about vacancies.
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@DeanPreston
*Correction*: Preston's proposal would authorize SF to build social housing, not amend the CA constitution, which currently prohibits cities from creating social housing.
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Striking
@Marriott
hotel workers undeterred by rain as negotiations with the corporation drag on. Many plan to spend Thanksgiving on the picket line.
@sfexaminer
@UniteHereLocal2
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Election night ready!
@sfexaminer
and
@SFWeekly
joining forces to bring you the results, tune in!
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🚨Scoop: When the notoriously troubled Mid-Market Burger King in
#SanFrancisco
shuttered suddenly in 2019, few were sad to see it go.
For 3+ years, its former home sat vacant. But workers are now prepping the site for a new tenant:
@CloudKitchens
.
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NEW: oWow is latest builder planning to “supersize” an approved project in
#SanFrancisco
due to change in state law.
“The approved units won't achieve a product that meets the returns that anybody would want to invest in today,” said CEO
@dannyjhaber
.
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@DrewDamnjanovic
@salesforce
Well if it makes you feel better I reported last month about the amount of space that Salesforce has listed so far at its iconic 415 Mission Tower, the tallest building in the city. Subscribe to stay up-to-date and plugged in!
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Wanda Johnson, the mother of Oscar Grant, addressed her community at Fruitvale Bart Station for the unveiling of a mural commemorating her late son. Grant was shot and killed by a Bart police officer in 2009.
@sfexaminer
0
15
40
🚨Scoop:
@GGU
is looking to part with its downtown
#SanFrancisco
real estate—all of it. The more than a century-old university has quietly listed its main campus +a 2nd building it owns in Financial District for sale.
#realestate
#hybridwork
#education
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Today is the last day that
@thebestnuala
& I will be sharing an office as she’s transitioning to freelancing & it’s breaking my lil heart! She’s a badass woman/writer who has become a dear friend & ally in this crazy competitive industry. Show her some ❤️ on her new journey 🗞💪
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“All of us want shelter, but they said there is only one bed available. We are going to move and then come back. The cops already know this. They just take pictures, send them to their supervisor, and then they are gone."
Police dismantle homeless encampment in San Francisco's Mission, but the people there remain on the street
via
@laura_waxee
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22
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Scoop: A highly controversial proposal for a new
#SanFrancisco
condo tower at the base of Telegraph Hill is continuing its growth spurt, having now tripled in size since it was first proposed in 2021.
Details below 👇
@sfchronicle
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UPDATE: The
@sfchronicle
has learned that
@Macys
high-profile Union Square location in
#SanFrancisco
is slated for closure, but will remain open until, at least, 2025. The company is seeking a buyer for its flagship property.
The end of an era....😮
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23
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Sai’s is now open in new location on Columbus Ave & hasn’t missed a beat! Lunch rush filled new space today leaving no empty tables. The family biz had to find new home due to expiring lease/ongoing renovations at Transamerica Pyramid.
@AaronPeskin
&
@MichaelShvo
assisted w/move.
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Upset audience members interrupt mayor, who responds, "if you don't want to hear me talk then leave." Asks audience members to respect each other. "My goal is not to put neighbor against neighbor and people against people. I am sorry this issue has divided this community."
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11
34
Advocates formed a human chain at corner of Washington and Sansome streets in front of SF ICE headquarters to protest some 150 arrests in Bay Area this week.
@sfexaminer
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33
38
The report explores reasons for vacancies — which vary greatly and include buyers using properties for investment purposes without intending to live in them.
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2
35
@chesaboudin
is celebrating his victory in the race for District Attorney in the Mission District‘s El Rio.
@sfexaminer
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10
38
NEW:
#SanFrancisco
’s exclusive condo market is shifting in favor of buyers amid waning demand/ oversupply due to 100s of luxury homes added in last 5 years. And yet, less of SF’s newest/swankiest downtown condos are finding takers than in previous years.
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11
38
A 200-bed Navigation Center for the homeless that drew the ire of South Beach neighbors and inspired a lawsuit earlier this year is opening its doors. Stay tuned for story.
@sfexaminer
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7
38
Update: Crowd swelling outside of Mission after arrest of rapper
@EQUIPTO
over police confrontation with youth. Equipto has been released.
@sfexaminer
0
24
34
Hundreds rallying now in
#SF
Embarcadero Plaza against federal policy that has resulted in the separation of thousands of immigrant children from their families at the U.S. border.
#FamiliesBelongTogether
@sfexaminer
0
18
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Happy to see my hometown paper alive & hopefully well. Newsrooms are increasingly struggling with layoffs, some shuttering. Investing in local news = supporting journalists who are involved with & integrated in their communities, a crucial service that’s often taken for granted.
0
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Only six of more than 30 people who lived in a large encampment off Polk Street for months received shelter placements after it was removed last week.
A majority of those placements consisted of seven-day shelter beds.
Only a handful of people placed in shelters following recent SF homeless sweep
via
@laura_waxee
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The site of a shuttered Walgreens store in
#SF
Bayview could in its second life become a grocery store. The proposed conversion would be small but significant for the neighborhood, which has been identified as a food desert by the federal government.
0
7
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Hundreds of people in attendance at public hearing on large scale Navigation Center for the homeless proposed at the waterfront. The emotion in the room is palpable. City says purpose of the evening is to share info about safety, site selection and cleanliness.
@sfexaminer
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12
30
More than 1,000 people marching on Dolores St. en route to City Hall. They are protesting Trump immigration policy that has separated thousands of children and parents at U.S. border - rallies are being held across the nation today.
@sfexaminer
3
11
32
#APEC
protesters are on the move. They’re heading down Market Street in
#SanFrancisco
toward Moscone Center, where international politicians and business executives will convene next week.
@sfchronicle
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13
33
San Francisco just approved a legislative package that aims to protect the city's some 35,000 SRO residents from eviction and establishes protocols on Covid-19 testing, contact tracing, placing residents in isolation/quarantine & accurate reporting on cases in these units.
0
6
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Scoop: Hong Kong real estate
#investor
comes back for heavily discounted
#sanfrancisco
office campus it sold to
@blackstone
at height of the market for a big return$$$.
It‘s not the only investor buying back a building from Blackstone.
@sfchronicle
3
13
34
Downtown San Francisco is among the neighborhoods with the highest vacancy rates, according to 2019 census data.
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0
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Scoop: San Francisco-based Yelp appears to be leaving its South of Market corporate headquarters at 140 New Montgomery St., becoming the latest tech company to take a new approach to its office space in the city.
#tech
#sf
#realestate
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15
30
"I stood on the sidewalk, surrounded by Narcan packaging ...I felt stunned by how fast the scene wrapped up—and shocked to be reminded how quickly and quietly a life can be lost on our streets without passersby knowing the difference."
A must-read by
@NualaBishari
♥️
I carry naloxone everywhere I go because I care about people who use drugs, and I want them to live. Last week, I finally had to use it. My latest for
@sfchronicle
-
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Hundreds of students marching along Market Street now to draw attention to climate change.
#SF
@sfexaminer
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