Amongst the items in front of San Francisco’s Land Use and Economic Development Committee this afternoon, resolutions approving the leases of Hayes Valley parcels K (the southeast corner of Octavia and Hayes) and L (the northeast corner of Octavia and Fell) to PROXYDevelopment for the “temporary inhabitations of retail, restaurant, art gallery, garden and community-based uses.”
The lease of Parcel K is for a three year term with a base rent of $5,000 per month while the lease for Parcel L is for a four year term at $2,000 per month.
Has anyone notices how badly retail has been hit lately? Even major retailers are closing stores and/or cutting back on inventory by about 30%. Retail spaces, unless they are small businesses with some genuine financial and constant customer support, can’t bring stability to a neighborhood.
As for the idea that these are “temporary inhabitations,” what sort of legal out is that?
In love. Hope creates opps for entrepreneurs….
Much of SF does not have critical mass in its neighborhoods to sustain retail. Unless you’re a service or have serious regional marketing buzz, must have internet presence to sustain an actual shop. Growth of internet buying won’t help matters. Temporary makes more and more sense. IMO
These are small retail spaces designed to be in your face at the street with odd designs that catch the eye with mystery. In the short term they should generate some of their own traffic.
Retail in general is hurting, but that might be a good reason to allow experimentation. When this plan first came together the economic situation was not so messed up. This area is moving on up, so that is another factor.
I saw some fellows from Suppenküche put up this sign [for a Biergarten at 424 Octavia] this afternoon: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/4832204537_ebb67dc250_b.jpg
As someone who lives in the neighborhhood, I think this is great news.
BTW, I forgot to mention they put up the sign on the fence around (what I’m pretty sure is) Parcel L.
Nice, that should be a nice place to grab one that is cold though this is all the more reason to make sure that the crenelated perimeter doesn’t create convenient places to return beer to the ecosystem. It is hard to tell, but are those ground level “bay windows” facing the exterior niches ? That will at least discourage letting form guide (bodily) function.