Busy San Francisco economic development Office

No land, no problem.  There's plenty of room to build in San Francisco.

Pier 30-32  Warriors Arena  on the waterfront

"San Francisco Chronicle/City Insider/John Cote, 8/9/12."San Francisco Chronicle/City Insider/John Cote, 8/9/12. "Mayor Ed Lee Shakes up economic development team with arena, other projects in the works."

"Mayor Ed Lee on Thursday shook up the staff at his office of economic and workforce development, a key department that handles everything from small business assistance programs to major projects like the proposed Golden State Warriors basketball arena on Piers 30-32.

Director Jennifer Matz is stepping down from running the departments day-to-day operations to focus on three major waterfront projects: the arena; refashioning the historic shipyard at Pier 70 into a vibrant neighborhood; and the 27-acre Mission Rock project at Seawall Lot 337, where the San Francisco Giants plan to turn a parking lot into a major mixed-use development with office space, retail, 1,000 residential units and eight acres open space.

Pier 70  at 20th Street

Deputy Director Todd Rufo, who led the city’s business attraction and retention efforts, will be elevated to director and take over the daily running of the office. Ken Rich, the mayor’s point person on the SFMOMA expansion and the controversial $2.5 billion project for California Pacific Medical Center to build two new hospitals, will lead partnerships with private developers as director of development.

Along with a nearly $4 million increase in its budget this year, the economic development office is facing a bundle of new work as the mayor tries to implant a 17-point jobs creation plan he campaigned on heavily last fall.  Bolstering manufacturing, neighborhood business corridors, clean technology companies and the nighttime economy are among the areas of concentration.

Pier 48   Mission Rock  (27-acres)

“It was clear that we needed to differently focus our resources, and the mayor decided to ask the three of us to increase our responsibilities in different ways,” said Matz, who appeared pleased with the change and her newly concentrated focus on three major development deals. “The cumulative effect of these developments will be so profound that they require the singular focus of a proven leader,” Lee said in a statement announcing the reshuffling." 

Related articles and announcements: 
Real Estate transitions.  SocketSite, Real Estate trends, Commercial archives, 8/10/12.  
Pier 30-32, Warriors Arena.  San Francisco Chronicle, 5/22/12. Warriors NBA Announcement. 

Pier 70.  San Francisco Master Plan.  The Potrero View. 
Pier 48, Mission Rock (27-acres).  Bay Crossings,  "..Mission Rock development project, located at Seawall Lot 337 and Pier 48 south of AT&T Park and across the China Basin Channel. Mission Rock will feature eight acres of open space, dramatic waterfront residences, innovative office space, shops and restaurants and a refurbished historic pier."  Huffington Post, 4/4/12. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh