Can downtown be saved? Mayoral candidates’ big ideas to stop the bleeding

What keeps economists, local politicians, and real estate moguls all up at night?

San Francisco’s downtown.

The fear? Lost revenue from business and property taxes, due to few commuters, empty storefronts, and vacant skyscrapers.

All the candidates for mayor agree that something must be done, but does anyone have the right formula to make the downtown boom again? 

As part of our “Ask the candidates” series, we collected questions from readers about the most critical challenges facing the city and are publishing the responses up to Election Day. 

Several readers asked about the candidates’ plans to reinvigorate downtown. Here are their answers. 

The mayor says the city must “accept reality” that a Monday-to-Friday schedule for workers isn’t likely to return. Downtown was designed for commuters, not residents, Mayor London Breed said, and that needs to change. 

Breed has rolled out the “Roadmap to Downtown San Francisco Future,” which offers incentives for businesses to open in the neighborhood and a plan to bring in 30,000 residents and students. Breed said she is open to office-to-residential conversions, though they are known to be technically challenging. Breed has also pushed for downtown concerts and other events.

“I am working to bring about a new future for our downtown office buildings,” she wrote in her questionnaire for The Standard. “One where workers mix with students and residents. Where there are a plethora of activities and arts and culture activities, not just during happy hour but all weekend as well.” 

Nonprofit founder Daniel Lurie said he would prioritize downtown’s safety and cleanliness to make the neighborhood more attractive. He said he would loosen regulations around keeping small businesses intact and tweak taxes to attract company headquarters. 

“We must better consolidate City Hall’s available tools and resources to revitalize downtown and increase support for small businesses in the form of tax breaks, grants, loans, and marketing,” Lurie wrote in his questionnaire. “And we need safe and clean streets, smart investments, and a vision for economic recovery that builds on the talent of our local small businesses.” 

Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin pitched a Center for Tech Diplomacy that he said would attract startups and pledged to work with big businesses to keep them downtown. 

He pointed to legislation he and Breed spearheaded last year that makes it easier and cheaper to convert office space. Peskin has also co-authored bills for “entertainment zones” that have sped up the permitting process for organizing events.

“As Mayor, I will implement my middle-class financing plan to lower interest rates on construction and speed these conversions even faster,” Peskin wrote. “We must use a combination of lower office costs, residential conversions, and new amenities such as parks, libraries, and art to bring people back to downtown.” 

Former interim mayor Mark Farrell said he is committing to cutting the commercial vacancy rate in half by the end of his first term in 2028. 

Farrell was the only candidate who answered an inquiry about work-from-home policies. He said he would offer tax incentives for businesses requiring employees to work from the office at least four days per week. He also pledged to offer financing and tax incentives for businesses, housing construction, and conversions and to repurpose downtown buildings for mixed-use projects. 

“I believe San Francisco has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to completely reimagine the possibilities and vision for our downtown neighborhoods,” he wrote. “My vision for downtown is one that is safe, clean, and thriving 24/7.”

Farrell blamed Breed’s administration for one of the “slowest post-pandemic recoveries in the country,” citing University of Toronto data. Farrell also pointed to canceled conventions and retailers like Macy’s leaving the area.

Want to read each candidate’s entire response to reinvigorating downtown? Click here.