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 SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL TRANSIT AGENCY (SFMTA) BRINGS ON PROWLER INC. TO DEVELOP REAL ESTATE VISION
SFMTA is the agency in charge of San Francisco's public transit, traffic, parking, towed cars, and just about anything that moves on or under the ground in the City. To keep the City moving (or parked) they need a lot of property: bus and train yards, the cable car barn up on Nob Hill, a block at Fisherman's Wharf, warehouses and repair shops, space for towed cars, offices, 40 parking lots and garages - a real mixed bag.
They have brought on a team directed by Prowler Inc. to help them work out how to use what they've got more efficiently (both environmentally and operationally), to generate much-needed revenue, and to find sites to meet future needs. SFMTA knows that as the City's population and workforce grow the demand for transit will also, and they will need to run, park, and service a bigger fleet. SFMTA will be considering initial recommendations in the fall.
The SFMTA Board voted unanimously on January 17, 2012 to award this multi-year contract to the team of Parsons Brinckerhoff; Prowler Inc.; Gensler; Vital Environments, Keyser Marston Associates, CHS, BMS Design Group, and others.
PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVES UPGRADE TO 888 BRANNAN: Jobs, preservation, energy upgrades.
On January 26, the Planning Commission unanimously approved the conversion of much of 888 Brannan Street from vacant show room space to office. The building dates from 1917 when it was the National Carbon Company, a battery factory, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Properties. The approval of the office space will result in:
- Investment by the owner, SKS Investments, of approximately $25 million in upgrades;
- An anticipated LEED Gold energy rating;
- Approximately 1,700 jobs on-site;
- Work for union labor in the upgrades and build-out;
- Improved space and no displacement of the jewelry wholesalers and artisans on site.
Prowler Inc. assisted with government and community relations on this great project.
Welcome to the latest Quiz. There won't be grades assigned - so enjoy!
1. In 1945, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art held the first ever one-person show of this artist:
- Marcel Duchamp
- Andy Warhol
- Jackson Pollock
- Georgia O'Keefe
Click here for the answer.
2. The MUNI symbol was designed by Walter Landor of San Francisco.
Which other logo did his firm design?
- FedEx
- Exploratorium
- Levi's
- World Wildlife Fund
Click here for the answer.
3. Match the number with the fact:
- 2.8 million
- 0
- 356 million
- 45,000
- Dollar amount of the estimated housing, school, and transit fees to be paid by 888 Brannan for converting empty space to office use
- Approved and unbuilt housing units in San Francisco as of January 2012
- Net new jobs in San Francisco since 1985
- Construction cost of Prowler Inc. projects approved in the last quarter
Click here for the answer.
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UNANIMOUS VOTES FOR SFMOMA AND THE NEW FIRE HOUSE – AND UNANIMOUS TESTIMONY, TOO.
For the past few years, David Prowler has had the great pleasure of pitching in on the Expansion of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. (See the last Prowler News for more background on this extraordinary project, which will be the largest modern and contemporary art museum in the U.S.)
The Planning Commission voted to approve the design at its meeting of February 2 – the conclusion to a series of votes including the Fire Commission, the Arts Commission, previous actions by the Planning Commission, and multiple votes by the Board of Supervisors. Every single vote on the project was unanimous – and so was testimony.
"Normally when large projects come in front of the commission, they are controversial—this is not" said Planning Commissioner Kathrin Moore.
The commissioners' comments on the project: "wonderful… terrific…sensuous… dynamic…powerful…a new San Francisco landmark." And: "This is not just a building to contain art, this building is art."
Prowler Inc. handled relationships with City Hall and the community for the Expansion and for the new fire station to be financed and constructed by SFMOMA farther down Folsom Street to replace Fire Station 1, whose site will be incorporated into the Expansion. Construction of the new fire house began in early February and will conclude later this year
Here's what Greg Johnson, Director of the SFMOMA Expansion Project had to say:
"David is among the handful of team members whose work led to the approvals of our Expansion and the fire house. He's a talented negotiator and his judgment, experience with large projects, and relationships added tremendously to the smooth success of our efforts. We really relied on him every step of the way."
Here's what the New York Times had to say:
"The final design, to be announced on Thursday, devotes considerable space (40,000 square feet) to free public areas, as if to say that the museum is as much a place to gather as it is a place to view art.
"A challenge museums have now is how much are they about making social spaces," Craig Dykers, the principal architect at Snohetta, said. "Is it a building filled with art with some people in it, or a building filled with people with some art in it? There needs to be enough social space to make people feel comfortable in what can be an austere environment, the white box. You shouldn't feel like you need to be quiet in the public spaces."
The museum sought an airy, open aesthetic that would convey this laid-back tone and better connect with its neighborhood, known as South of Market. "We really want the museum to be much more outward-looking," said Neal Benezra, the museum's director, "to open up the doors and bring the public in."
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