More retail stores in Potrero Hill?

From a recent San Francisco Business Times article, "Mission Bay's condo craze is sparking a retail renaissance. With more than 1,000 residential units completed and 6,000 more slated for completion within the next 36 months, plans are progressing to pack shops and restaurants into the area. Along with some 170,000 square feet of ground-floor retail planned within the Mission Bay development, a further 100,000 square feet or so could be developed at existing sites throughout the nascent neighborhood."

" 'I know of four to six other sites that are actively being explored for additional retail. These are existing buildings that would be reconfigured.' said Sheldon Pont, a retail and shopping center consultant with GVA Whitney Cressman. Pont noted one such site was 444 De Haro St. -- an office building across the street from the new Whole Foods Market at 450 Rhode Island St. slated to open April 2007."

"Pont said he's had informal conversations on behalf of building owners Gregg Flynn and Divco West with retailers like Anthropologie, the Gap, Barnes & Noble, Crate & Barrel Outlet Center and Restoration Hardware. Such retailers have opened stores near Whole Foods markets in Chicago, Long Island and "at least three dozen locations analogous to Potrero Hill." Most have been very successful, said Pont."

Editor's Note The Planning Department has scheduled a community planning workshop for Showplace Square / lower Potrero Hill for Wednesday, March 1, 6 - 8 pm at the California College of the Arts (450 Irwin St @ 8th St).

This first workshop will review the effort to date, provide an overview of the proposed refinements and describe the next steps.

Thanks to blogger / realtor Matt Lanning for first noting this article.

Read More
• Homes are in and retail seems sure to follow [SF Business Times]