Insights
Events

San Francisco’s Downtown: What Does the Future Hold?

Real Estate Education Series
February 28, 2023 at 8:30am9:30am (PDT)

Farella's CJ Higley with guest speakers, Marc Babsin with Emerald Fund, Jim Hakes with Handel Architects, Sujata Srivastava with SPUR, and Anne Taupier with San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, discuss "San Francisco’s Downtown: What Does the Future Hold?"

As work habits continue to transition from office space to work from home, sparsely populated downtown office towers are proving to be a barrier to the City’s goal of repopulating the traditional financial district. Enter the appeal to convert properties built and used for commercial purposes into residential dwellings.

But gutting a high-rise and rebuilding the inside as housing can be difficult, expensive, and may require more than changing the carpet and moving some walls. Are there opportunities for residential conversions despite the challenges? Are there other uses that may contribute to a re-imagined downtown? Or will the office come back if we’re just patient?

The panel discusses the following:

  • Effects of zoning laws on building conversion, and potential regulatory incentives to facilitate conversions
  • Physical constraints on office to residential conversions 
  • Downtown as a destination for arts & entertainment
  • Educational opportunities: the urban campus
  • The future of office work (and workers)

Resources

Firm Highlights

Publication

Office-to-Housing Conversion: Legislation – California’s Next Frontier

In an effort to spur the conversion of office-to-housing as one way to revitalize California’s struggling urban downtown areas, Assemblyman (and former San Francisco Supervisor) Matt Haney has introduced AB 1532, dubbed the “Office...

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Publication

State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations Go Into Effect April 1, 2023

The State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has been actively pursuing comprehensive new wildfire protection standards for development in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and State Responsibility Areas where the State of...

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Publication

Office-to-Housing Conversion: State and Local Efforts to Revitalize the Downtown

Originally published in The Registry . As office vacancies soar in traditional downtown areas like San Francisco’s Financial District, state and local officials are moving quickly to adopt incentives they hope will bring people...

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Publication

San Francisco’s Downtown: What Does the Future Hold?

Farella's CJ Higley with guest speakers, Marc Babsin with Emerald Fund, Jim Hakes with Handel Architects, Sujata Srivastava with SPUR, and Anne Taupier with San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, discuss "San...

Read More
News

Discovery Builders Wins Complete Defense Ruling at Trial

Northern California legal powerhouse Farella Braun + Martel secured a complete defense victory at trial on behalf of developer Discovery Builders, Inc. and co-defendants in a lawsuit by the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office in...

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News

Farella Braun + Martel Announces 2023 New Partner Class

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Event

Bisnow: San Francisco State of the Market

At Bisnow's San Francisco State of the Market event, Ashley Breakfield will moderate the panel "Revitalizing San Francisco: Reconfiguring the city for a hybrid world, reimagining downtown, and uplifting the economy." Click  here  for more information and to...

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Publication

San Francisco Planning Commission Endorses Ordinances to Incentivize Adaptive Reuse in Downtown

The San Francisco Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval on May 4 of two ordinances aimed at revitalizing the City’s Downtown, South of Market Street, and Union Square districts. Vacant Office and Commercial Building Conversion...

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News

Planning Commission OKs Bella Union Winery at Former Provenance Facility in Rutherford

Katherine Philippakis was quoted in the Wine Business article, "Planning Commission OKs Bella Union Winery at Former Provenance Facility in Rutherford."  The goal for the “foreseeable future” is for Bella Union to produce 110,000...

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Publication

A Year in Review: SB 9 Slow to Gain Traction

A year since the approval of Senate Bill 9 (SB 9), it appears few Californians have taken advantage of the new legislation that aims to streamline small-scale housing development. The bill allows for the...

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