New mayor. New year. New hope, apparently.
After five years of widespread discontent about the direction of the city, voter optimism has nearly doubled in San Francisco due to the perception that conditions around homelessness, housing, and the economy have improved.
The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce’s annual CityBeat poll, conducted last month, found that 43% of San Franciscans believe the city is “headed in the right direction,” nearly double the 22% who held that opinion last year.
Reflecting a larger malaise in the city hit hard by the pandemic, the poll has shown negative ratings every year since 2019. This dissatisfaction coincided with an election last year that saw voters broadly reject the city’s incumbents and institutions.
“Our city has always thrived on ambition, and now is the time to channel that spirit into the future of downtown,” said Rodney Fong, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.
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In a speech delivered at Pier 27 on Wednesday, Fong said the business community should focus on bringing more education, culture and sports to areas such as Firth and Mission or the San Francisco Centre Mall.
He also announced that the Chamber will travel to Osaka this year to relaunch the historic Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco by 2035. The “world fair” — meant to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal — was held at Fort Mason in 1915.
Joining Fong to announce the poll results were Mayor Daniel Lurie, Bay FC CEO Brady Stewart, and Jeff Korzenik of Fifth Third Bank. According to financial disclosures, Lurie owns a minority stake valued between $100,000 and $1 million in Bay FC, the National Women’s Soccer League team that plays in San Jose but has long-term aspirations to move to San Francisco.
The poll, conducted Jan. 22-27 by EMC Research and sponsored by United Airlines, surveyed 500 voters.
On stage, Lurie repeated a slogan he has been using since coming into office last month: “San Francisco is once again open for business,” he said. “This is a time to double down.”
In line with a major priority for the Chamber of Commerce, the poll found that San Franciscans overwhelmingly support efforts to revitalize downtown, which has the nation’s highest rate of office vacancies and has seen the departure of big-box retailers like Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.
More than 80% of respondents said they would support transforming underutilized malls and storefronts, while at least 70% think financial incentives should be offered to build housing in the area.
However, while 66% said they enjoy visiting downtown, only 48% said the city is making progress on the area’s recovery through new events, conventions, and businesses.