XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, ba.politics, sac.politics   
   XPost: talk.politics.guns   
   From: blue-shit-holes@sanfrancisco.com   
      
   For a decade, Lombardi Sports has sat empty at the corner of Polk and   
   Jackson streets—a usually bustling area, popular for drinking and dining,   
   amongst several desirable San Francisco neighborhoods.   
      
   At a glance, it would appear to be an excellent opportunity for   
   redevelopment. Apartments here would likely be snapped up in no   
   time—average rent for all apartment sizes in nearby Nob Hill is $3,468,   
   according to Zumper—it’s over $4,000 in Pacific Heights just across Van   
   Ness Avenue.   
      
   The space at 1600 Jackson St. has had its fair share of attempts to   
   revitalize it after selling its last pair of running shoes in 2014,   
   including plans for 62 new apartments that the developer backed out of,   
   plans for a Whole Foods that the city shot down and a Target that locals   
   said no to. Mollie Stone’s signed a lease on the property, but that   
   collapsed during the pandemic. In its 10 years of sitting vacant, three   
   firm plans have failed, and two others didn’t make it out of the gates.   
      
   Readers have likely heard similar San Francisco redevelopment stories   
   before, where a myriad of city red tape and the insanely high cost of   
   getting anything built have been at the forefront of political discourse   
   for a good long while now. And the reason Lombardi’s has sat empty is no   
   different: bureaucracy, according to the building owners.   
      
   But it’s not for a lack of trying. Owners Rob Isackson and Scott Kepner   
   filed housing plans shortly after buying the former sporting goods store   
   on 1600 Jackson St. but later backed out because it was not financially   
   feasible.   
      
   “We value the property more as commercial long term,” Isackson said. “It   
   would be a fabulous location for a full-service gym. It’s also a great   
   grocery store location.”   
      
   But subsequent efforts to fill the building with retailers or grocery   
   stores over the last nine years have faltered.   
      
   Owners are open to selling the building for around $25 million, according   
   to leasing agent Matt Holmes.   
      
   The owners blame the city’s formula retail ban for getting in the way,   
   especially with plans for a Whole Foods with eight homes above it, which   
   the city’s Planning Commission killed in 2018. Although the ban didn’t   
   apply to Mollie Stone’s lease, it still fell through.   
      
   Kepner said the ban makes it more difficult to secure a new tenant because   
   the business cannot have more than 11 locations. The ban was approved by   
   voters in 2007 to "protect San Francisco's vibrant small business sector   
   and create a supportive environment for new small business innovations."   
      
   But the old sports store is probably too big for most small businesses;   
   its two stories are spread over 32,000 square feet, more than half a   
   football field. In short, finding a small business with enough cash to pay   
   the $92,500 monthly rent and fill the huge space is proving to be almost   
   impossible. Rent is priced at $2.50 per square foot. Parking is included   
   for the tenant, Holmes said.   
      
   “It’s a difficult needle to thread,” Kepner said. “We’d love to get   
   someone in there if the city will approve.”   
      
   Whole Foods was denied in 2018 by the Planning Commission because its plan   
   didn’t include enough housing and there were fears it would damage   
   existing local businesses’ bottom lines.   
      
   “It’s an iconic building,” said Planning Department Chief of Staff Dan   
   Sider. “It’s a shame it’s been empty for so long.”   
      
   Lombardi Sports’ wasted decade:   
   Nov. 17, 2014: The building's owners file plans for 62 homes on the site.   
   But then they back out, as the demolition and rebuild costs make the   
   project too expensive to make money.   
   Spring 2015: Target approaches the owners to explore leasing out the   
   space, but both parties decide not to pursue a lease agreement after   
   community outreach by then-Supervisor Julie Christensen finds local people   
   don’t want a chain store there.   
   January 2016: Whole Foods signs a lease to open in the space in early   
   2016.   
   Nov. 8, 2018: The Planning Commission denies plans to open a Whole Foods   
   365.   
   Early 2019: Mollie Stone’s signs a lease with plans to open its 10th   
   location to open in 2020.   
   Nov. 21, 2019: A construction company working for Mollie Stone’s applies   
   for a building permit for $2.5 million of tenant improvement work to turn   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)