Annie Gaus

Salesforce is ditching the last of its remaining office space at 350 Mission St., listing 104,051 square feet for sublease at the tower known as Salesforce East.

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<p>Salesforce is ditching the last of its remaining office space at 350 Mission St., listing 104,051 square feet for sublease at the tower known as Salesforce East. </p>

The office space is spread across six floors, according to a listing viewed by The Standard. The SoMa high-rise became known as Salesforce East when the software firm leased the entirety of the building more than 10 years ago.

<p>The office space is spread across six floors, according to a listing viewed by The Standard. The SoMa high-rise became known as Salesforce East when the software firm leased the entirety of the building more than 10 years ago. </p>

Salesforce, one of San Francisco&#8217;s largest private employers, has been steadily dumping office space since the onset of the pandemic. It had already listed most of its space at Salesforce East, some of which has been <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/04/11/s-f-salesforce-office-tower-sublease.html">absorbed by other companies</a>, according to the San Francisco Business Times.

<p>Salesforce, one of San Francisco's largest private employers, has been steadily dumping office space since the onset of the pandemic. It had already listed most of its space at Salesforce East, some of which has been <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/04/11/s-f-salesforce-office-tower-sublease.html">absorbed by other companies</a>, according to the San Francisco Business Times. </p>

<p>Salesforce, one of San Francisco&#8217;s largest private employers, has been steadily dumping office space since the onset of the pandemic. It had already listed most of its space at Salesforce East, some of which has been <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/04/11/s-f-salesforce-office-tower-sublease.html">absorbed by other companies</a>, according to the San Francisco Business Times. </p>

As of Jan. 31, the company’s San Francisco headquarters included around 1.6 million square feet of leased and owned property, not including 800,000 square feet subleased in San Francisco and another 700,000 square feet available for sublease.&nbsp;Last month, the SF Business Times reported that Salesforce listed six floors for <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/03/02/saleforce-office-sublease-headquarters.html?utm_source=st&amp;utm_medium=en&amp;utm_campaign=ae&amp;utm_content=FR&amp;j=30714890&amp;senddate=2023-03-02">sublease at Salesfo</a><a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/03/02/saleforce-office-sublease-headquarters.html?utm_source=st&amp;utm_medium=en&amp;utm_campaign=ae&amp;utm_content=FR&amp;j=30714890&amp;senddate=2023-03-02" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">r</a><a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/03/02/saleforce-office-sublease-headquarters.html?utm_source=st&amp;utm_medium=en&amp;utm_campaign=ae&amp;utm_content=FR&amp;j=30714890&amp;senddate=2023-03-02">ce Tower</a>.

<p>As of Jan. 31, the company’s San Francisco headquarters included around 1.6 million square feet of leased and owned property, not including 800,000 square feet subleased in San Francisco and another 700,000 square feet available for sublease.&nbsp;Last month, the SF Business Times reported that Salesforce listed six floors for <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/03/02/saleforce-office-sublease-headquarters.html?utm_source=st&amp;utm_medium=en&amp;utm_campaign=ae&amp;utm_content=FR&amp;j=30714890&amp;senddate=2023-03-02">sublease at Salesfo</a><a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/03/02/saleforce-office-sublease-headquarters.html?utm_source=st&amp;utm_medium=en&amp;utm_campaign=ae&amp;utm_content=FR&amp;j=30714890&amp;senddate=2023-03-02" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">r</a><a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/03/02/saleforce-office-sublease-headquarters.html?utm_source=st&amp;utm_medium=en&amp;utm_campaign=ae&amp;utm_content=FR&amp;j=30714890&amp;senddate=2023-03-02">ce Tower</a>.</p>

A Salesforce spokesperson confirmed the sublease and said it was part of a restructuring announced in January.

<p>A Salesforce spokesperson confirmed the sublease and said it was part of a restructuring announced in January.</p>

The latest <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/salesforce-looks-to-dump-its-remaining-office-space-at-salesforce-east/">analysis of the San Francisco market</a> shows that Salesforce holds more sublease space than any other company in the city. The addition of the Salesforce East property brings the company&#8217;s total to more than 700,000 square feet of office space in the city on the sublease market.

<p>The latest <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/salesforce-looks-to-dump-its-remaining-office-space-at-salesforce-east/">analysis of the San Francisco market</a> shows that Salesforce holds more sublease space than any other company in the city. The addition of the Salesforce East property brings the company's total to more than 700,000 square feet of office space in the city on the sublease market.</p>

<p>The latest <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/salesforce-looks-to-dump-its-remaining-office-space-at-salesforce-east/">analysis of the San Francisco market</a> shows that Salesforce holds more sublease space than any other company in the city. The addition of the Salesforce East property brings the company&#8217;s total to more than 700,000 square feet of office space in the city on the sublease market.</p>

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That restructuring included a 10% layoff that <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/salesforce-axes-752-employees-in-san-francisco/">affected 752 employees</a> at its San Francisco offices, according to a state filing. Activist investors including Elliott Management, Starboard Value and others have bought up shares in the company in an effort to pressure the firm to boost profits.

<p>That restructuring included a 10% layoff that <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/salesforce-axes-752-employees-in-san-francisco/">affected 752 employees</a> at its San Francisco offices, according to a state filing. Activist investors including Elliott Management, Starboard Value and others have bought up shares in the company in an effort to pressure the firm to boost profits. </p>

As part to the restructuring, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff&nbsp;said in January that the company would <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/salesforce-to-cut-10-of-workforce-close-offices/">close offices</a> and continue to trim its real estate holdings to cut costs. Echoing other tech executives that <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/tech-scaled-too-quickly-and-now-the-bay-area-is-paying-the-price/">have laid off workers</a>, Benioff pinned the layoffs on overhiring during the pandemic.

<p>As part to the restructuring, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff&nbsp;said in January that the company would <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/salesforce-to-cut-10-of-workforce-close-offices/">close offices</a> and continue to trim its real estate holdings to cut costs. Echoing other tech executives that <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/tech-scaled-too-quickly-and-now-the-bay-area-is-paying-the-price/">have laid off workers</a>, Benioff pinned the layoffs on overhiring during the pandemic. </p>

In an interview with <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/salesforce-considers-more-layoffs-amid-activist-pressure-report/">Bloomberg last month</a>, Salesforce Chief Operating Officer Brian Millham&nbsp;said that the company may lay off more workers to improve efficiency. The firm is working with the consulting firm Bain &amp; Co. on a review of its business.

<p>In an interview with <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/salesforce-considers-more-layoffs-amid-activist-pressure-report/">Bloomberg last month</a>, Salesforce Chief Operating Officer Brian Millham&nbsp;said that the company may lay off more workers to improve efficiency. The firm is working with the consulting firm Bain &amp; Co. on a review of its business. </p>

The Salesforce East property reinforces the company&#8217;s position as the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/research-data/san-francisco-commerical-real-estate-crash-office-space-sublease/">largest sublessor of office space</a> in San Francisco.

<p>The Salesforce East property reinforces the company's position as the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/research-data/san-francisco-commerical-real-estate-crash-office-space-sublease/">largest sublessor of office space</a> in San Francisco.</p>

<p>The Salesforce East property reinforces the company&#8217;s position as the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/research-data/san-francisco-commerical-real-estate-crash-office-space-sublease/">largest sublessor of office space</a> in San Francisco.</p>

Salesforce is leaving a San Francisco office tower bearing its name

RJ Mickelson

Summer in San Francisco is famously cool.

<p>Summer in San Francisco is famously cool.</p>

It’s a fact first-time visitors inevitably learn about the city June through August.

<p>It’s a fact first-time visitors inevitably learn about the city June through August.</p>

While some find the fog-enshrouded vistas bizarre, gray days are nothing new for locals who know the usual California escape can rarely be had in the City by the Bay.

<p>While some find the fog-enshrouded vistas bizarre, gray days are nothing new for locals who know the usual California escape can rarely be had in the City by the Bay.</p>

June Gloom and Fog-ust are realities of San Francisco living.

<p>June Gloom and Fog-ust are realities of San Francisco living.</p>

Meteorologists are accustomed to explaining the workings of the marine layer that chills San Francisco while the rest of the Bay Area swelters.

<p>Meteorologists are accustomed to explaining the workings of the marine layer that chills San Francisco while the rest of the Bay Area swelters.</p>

San Francisco’s position on the peninsula, mostly surrounded by water, creates conditions for many foggy days, averaging about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://bayareaanswers.com/why-is-san-francisco-so-foggy/" rel="noreferrer noopener">108</a>&nbsp;per year.

<p>San Francisco’s position on the peninsula, mostly surrounded by water, creates conditions for many foggy days, averaging about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://bayareaanswers.com/why-is-san-francisco-so-foggy/" rel="noreferrer noopener">108</a>&nbsp;per year.</p>

A view of the Salesforce Tower from the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, on June 14, 2023. The building is undergoing planned improvements spanning through 2023 including and expansion of the ground-floor park, modernizing the Pyramid’s dated interiors, renovating the lobby and entrances and adding amenities like a private top-floor bar for tenants. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED01_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-178994"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Salesforce Tower in San Francisco is shrouded in fog on June 14, 2023. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard</figcaption></figure>


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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED01_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-178994"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Salesforce Tower in San Francisco is shrouded in fog on June 14, 2023. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Women enjoy an ocean view at Mount Tamalpais State Park near Mill Valley on July 2, 2023. The Pacific Ocean is covered by a blanket of fog. | Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.| Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED02_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-178997"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Women watch a foggy ocean sunset from Mount Tamalpais State Park in Marin County on Sunday. | Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>


Johnathan Marquez plays tennis during a foggy summer day at Dolores Park in San Francisco, on Thursday July 6, 2023. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-01-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179149"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Johnathan Marquez plays tennis during a foggy summer day at Dolores Park in San Francisco on July 6, 2023. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard</figcaption></figure>


San Francisco's most iconic weather fog blankets the Golden Gate Bridge as seen from Marin Headlands of Sausalito in California, United States on July 2, 2023. | Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED04_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179003"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco&#8217;s most iconic weather phenomenon, the fog, blankets the Golden Gate Bridge, as seen from Marin Headlands in Sausalito on Sunday. | Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED04_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179003"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco's most iconic weather phenomenon, the fog, blankets the Golden Gate Bridge, as seen from Marin Headlands in Sausalito on Sunday. | Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED04_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179003"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco&#8217;s most iconic weather phenomenon, the fog, blankets the Golden Gate Bridge, as seen from Marin Headlands in Sausalito on Sunday. | Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>

Jerry Faial, left, and his daughter, Solea Faial, spend time at Ocean Beach under the fog in San Francisco, on Thursday July 6, 2023. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-07-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179170"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jerry Faial, left, and his daughter, Solea Faial, right, spend time at Ocean Beach under the fog in San Francisco on Thursday. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard</figcaption></figure>


The Takeuchi Family pose in-front of the Pride sign in San Francisco on Saturday, June 24, 2023. | Justin Katigbak for The Standard


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED03_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179000"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Takeuchi family poses in front of the Pride sign in San Francisco on June 24, 2023. | Justin Katigbak for The Standard</figcaption></figure>


A view of Coit Tower from the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, on June 14, 2023. The building is undergoing planned improvements spanning through 2023 including and expansion of the ground-floor park, modernizing the Pyramid’s dated interiors, renovating the lobby and entrances and adding amenities like a private top-floor bar for tenants. 


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED05_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179006"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fog hangs over the bay with Coit Tower in the foreground in San Francisco on June 14, 2023. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard</figcaption></figure>


SF Pride Board Resistance contingent marches during the 53rd Annual San Francisco Pride Parade and Celebration at San Francisco Civic Center on June 25, 2023 in San Francisco, California. | Miikka Skaffari/WireImage/Getty Images


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED06_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-1667x2500.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179009"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fog hovers over the San Francisco Pride Board Resistance Contingent marching down Market Street during the Pride Parade in San Francisco on June 25, 2023. | Miikka Skaffari/WireImage/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>


Steve Jones, left, and Jay Jones, right, prepare to surf at Ocean Beach under the fog in San Francisco, on Thursday July 6, 2023. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-11-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179182"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Steve Jones, left, and Jay Jones, right, prepare to surf at Ocean Beach under the fog in San Francisco on Thursday. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard</figcaption></figure>


A full Moon rises through fog and over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge during hazy night as seen from Marin Headlands of Sausalito, United States on July 1, 2023. |Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/INLINED07_FoggySummerPhotoEssay07062023-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-179012"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A full moon rises over the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in a thin veil of fog during hazy night, as seen from Marin Headlands in Sausalito on Saturday. | Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>


Photos: Take in the views of San Francisco’s famous summer fog

Mike Ege

Storm clouds are gathering at San Francisco City Hall as 2024 brings with it two momentous elections.&nbsp;

<p>Storm clouds are gathering at San Francisco City Hall as 2024 brings with it two momentous elections.&nbsp;</p>

Mayor London Breed faces uncertainty as dissatisfaction with City Hall opens the door for challengers, including Supervisor Ahsha Safaí and philanthropist Daniel Lurie. But Safaí and Lurie lack Breed’s name recognition and have yet to make much traction in their bids to take over Room 200. Political insiders are grasping for alternatives, such as <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/10/03/san-francisco-supervisor-aaron-peskin-says-people-want-him-to-run-for-mayor/">Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin</a> or <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/29/mark-farrell-san-francisco-mayor-race-london-breed-2024/">former Mayor Mark Farrell</a>.&nbsp;

San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin says people want him to run for mayor

Mark Farrell, ex-San Francisco mayor, could challenge London Breed in 2024

<p>Mayor London Breed faces uncertainty as dissatisfaction with City Hall opens the door for challengers, including Supervisor Ahsha Safaí and philanthropist Daniel Lurie. But Safaí and Lurie lack Breed’s name recognition and have yet to make much traction in their bids to take over Room 200. Political insiders are grasping for alternatives, such as <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/10/03/san-francisco-supervisor-aaron-peskin-says-people-want-him-to-run-for-mayor/">Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin</a> or <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/11/29/mark-farrell-san-francisco-mayor-race-london-breed-2024/">former Mayor Mark Farrell</a>.&nbsp;</p>

But while star political players will weather the biggest political storms, they’re far from the only ones angling for the Mayor’s Office this November.&nbsp;

<p>But while star political players will weather the biggest political storms, they’re far from the only ones angling for the Mayor’s Office this November.&nbsp;</p>

Over 30 people have “pulled papers,” or declared their intent to run, for mayor this year. Declaring intent to run doesn’t guarantee you’ll be on the final ballot. In 2019, for example, 33 people pulled papers but only two candidates stuck it out to the final ballot: Breed and <a href="https://goldengatexpress.org/90182/city/former-sf-state-instructor-runs-for-mayor-with-pro-trump-agenda/">archconservative Ellen Lee Zhou</a>. Candidates have until May 15 to submit either a $7,020 filing fee or 14,040 signatures from local voters to get on the ballot.&nbsp;

<p>Over 30 people have “pulled papers,” or declared their intent to run, for mayor this year. Declaring intent to run doesn’t guarantee you’ll be on the final ballot. In 2019, for example, 33 people pulled papers but only two candidates stuck it out to the final ballot: Breed and <a href="https://goldengatexpress.org/90182/city/former-sf-state-instructor-runs-for-mayor-with-pro-trump-agenda/">archconservative Ellen Lee Zhou</a>. Candidates have until May 15 to submit either a $7,020 filing fee or 14,040 signatures from local voters to get on the ballot.&nbsp;</p>

The overwhelming majority of people who have pulled papers for the mayor’s race can best be described as outliers. They range from people like <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronikafimbres/">Veronika Fimbres</a>, a clinical assistant manager at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and trans rights activist, to Shahram Shariati, a transportation engineer at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency inspired to “bring common sense back to the city” from his experiences dealing with its bureaucracy.&nbsp;

<p>The overwhelming majority of people who have pulled papers for the mayor’s race can best be described as outliers. They range from people like <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronikafimbres/">Veronika Fimbres</a>, a clinical assistant manager at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and trans rights activist, to Shahram Shariati, a transportation engineer at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency inspired to “bring common sense back to the city” from his experiences dealing with its bureaucracy.&nbsp;</p>

San Francisco Mayor London Breed listens to a journalist during an interview inter office at City Hall in San Francisco on June 1, 2023,


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/inlined01_20240109guesswhoscomingtomayorsrace.jpg?w=2500" alt="A woman in a red outfit sits solemnly in an ornate wood-paneled room with flags and a fireplace." class="wp-image-239385"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco Mayor London Breed listens to a question during an interview at City Hall in San Francisco in June 2023.</figcaption></figure>


On <a href="https://www.sfmayor2025.com/who-we-are">his website</a>, Shariati relates his ordeal of dealing with vandalism and other issues at his Mission Street apartment complex. He was eventually able to get local laws changed to help with his graffiti problem, but he told The Standard that “what should have been a no-brainer took so many years.” He’s in the race for the long haul, telling The Standard he already has his $7,020 filing fee saved up.&nbsp;

<p>On <a href="https://www.sfmayor2025.com/who-we-are">his website</a>, Shariati relates his ordeal of dealing with vandalism and other issues at his Mission Street apartment complex. He was eventually able to get local laws changed to help with his graffiti problem, but he told The Standard that “what should have been a no-brainer took so many years.” He’s in the race for the long haul, telling The Standard he already has his $7,020 filing fee saved up.&nbsp;</p>

If no one is able to unseat Breed in November, the lower end of the mayoral ballot could be seen as another kind of contest—for the title of Lord of the Gadflies. They may have no chance of winning, but they all have something to say. Here’s a closer look at some of the more interesting contenders.

<p>If no one is able to unseat Breed in November, the lower end of the mayoral ballot could be seen as another kind of contest—for the title of Lord of the Gadflies. They may have no chance of winning, but they all have something to say. Here’s a closer look at some of the more interesting contenders.</p>

San Francisco mayoral candidates Ellen Lee Zhou speaks to journalists in San Francisco on Sept. 10, 2019.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/inlined02_20240109guesswhoscomingtomayorsrace.jpg?w=2500" alt="A woman with short black hair, wearing a red blouse and dark blazer, gestures while speaking to someone off-camera." class="wp-image-239387"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco mayoral candidate Ellen Lee Zhou speaks to journalists in San Francisco in 2019.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ellen-lee-zhou-jan-6-participant">Ellen Lee Zhou, Jan. 6 Participant</h2>


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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ellen-lee-zhou-jan-6-participant">Ellen Lee Zhou, Jan. 6 Participant</h2>

Zhou’s 2019 campaign became notorious for a series of billboards that were eventually found to have <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/12/28/spending-on-political-billboard-ads-violated-sf-election-laws-watchdog-says/">violated campaign finance laws</a>; they were also called <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/10/21/san-francisco-controversial-billboard-ellen-zhou-london-breed-pkg-vpx.kpix">hurtful and racist</a> by detractors, including Breed.&nbsp;

Spending on political billboard ads violated SF election laws, watchdog says

<p>Zhou’s 2019 campaign became notorious for a series of billboards that were eventually found to have <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/12/28/spending-on-political-billboard-ads-violated-sf-election-laws-watchdog-says/">violated campaign finance laws</a>; they were also called <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/10/21/san-francisco-controversial-billboard-ellen-zhou-london-breed-pkg-vpx.kpix">hurtful and racist</a> by detractors, including Breed.&nbsp;</p>

Zhou, a trained social worker, also brandished a pistol and a rifle at a press conference encouraging Asian Americans <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/sf-chinese-group-promotes-gun-ownership-after-community-crime-scare/article_57426987-2426-54eb-8fd3-ba968290f703.html">to arm themselves</a> in response to reports of rising crime. She also used her spotlight to burnish her MAGA credentials, as a protagonist in multiple stories <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/focus/ellen-lee-zhou">in the Epoch Times</a> and, in a Trumpist hat trick, by participating in the <a href="https://sfist.com/2021/01/07/sf-mayoral-candidate-ellen-lee-zhou-was-at-the-trump-rally-slash-insurrection/">Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot</a>. When Election Day came, Zhou garnered a distant second place with about 14% of the vote.&nbsp;

<p>Zhou, a trained social worker, also brandished a pistol and a rifle at a press conference encouraging Asian Americans <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/sf-chinese-group-promotes-gun-ownership-after-community-crime-scare/article_57426987-2426-54eb-8fd3-ba968290f703.html">to arm themselves</a> in response to reports of rising crime. She also used her spotlight to burnish her MAGA credentials, as a protagonist in multiple stories <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/focus/ellen-lee-zhou">in the Epoch Times</a> and, in a Trumpist hat trick, by participating in the <a href="https://sfist.com/2021/01/07/sf-mayoral-candidate-ellen-lee-zhou-was-at-the-trump-rally-slash-insurrection/">Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot</a>. When Election Day came, Zhou garnered a distant second place with about 14% of the vote.&nbsp;</p>

It wasn’t her first run. Zhou also ran in a special mayoral election in June 2018, when Breed faced off against better-known candidates such as <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/san-francisco-mayor-jane-kim-mark-leno-ranked-choice-voting/561053/">former state Sen. Mark Leno and former Supervisor Jane Kim</a>. Zhou garnered not quite 4% of first-choice votes in that race. Her platform included a plan to <a href="https://www.sfpublicpress.org/spare-room-mayoral-challenger-zhou-says-you-could-help-homelessness-crisis/">entice city residents with spare rooms</a> to house the homeless.&nbsp;

<p>It wasn’t her first run. Zhou also ran in a special mayoral election in June 2018, when Breed faced off against better-known candidates such as <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/05/san-francisco-mayor-jane-kim-mark-leno-ranked-choice-voting/561053/">former state Sen. Mark Leno and former Supervisor Jane Kim</a>. Zhou garnered not quite 4% of first-choice votes in that race. Her platform included a plan to <a href="https://www.sfpublicpress.org/spare-room-mayoral-challenger-zhou-says-you-could-help-homelessness-crisis/">entice city residents with spare rooms</a> to house the homeless.&nbsp;</p>

Zhou is <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-Acting-on-a-teacher-s-request-2722281.php">originally from Taishan, China</a>, and moved to San Francisco when she was 16. She attended San Francisco City College and San Francisco State University. A behavioral health clinician, Zhou worked at the Department of Public Health until she was dismissed in September 2022 for refusing to get vaccinated for Covid. She filed suit against the city to get her job back last December.

<p>Zhou is <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-Acting-on-a-teacher-s-request-2722281.php">originally from Taishan, China</a>, and moved to San Francisco when she was 16. She attended San Francisco City College and San Francisco State University. A behavioral health clinician, Zhou worked at the Department of Public Health until she was dismissed in September 2022 for refusing to get vaccinated for Covid. She filed suit against the city to get her job back last December.</p>

Austin Hills attend de Gournay Celebrates Opening of New Boutique on March 1st 2017 at de Gournay Showroom in San Francisco.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/inlined03_20240109guesswhoscomingtomayorsrace.jpg?w=2000" alt="A man in a suit smirks while someone's hand makes a playful gesture near his face." class="wp-image-239388"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Austin Hills attends the opening of a boutique in 2017 in San Francisco.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-austin-hills-coffee-fortune-heir">Austin Hills: Coffee Fortune Heir</h2>


Pacific Heights resident, photographer, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/sf-supercars-san-francisco">Supercar rental business</a> proprietor and socialite Austin Hills is obviously a man of many hats. In 2022, he pulled papers to run for district attorney, but couldn’t follow through due to an important technicality—<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/08/12/son-of-coffee-dynasty-fails-san-francisco-district-attorney-run/">he wasn’t a lawyer</a>.&nbsp;

Scion of SF coffee dynasty attempts run for district attorney, realizes he needs to be an attorney to qualify

<p>Pacific Heights resident, photographer, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/sf-supercars-san-francisco">Supercar rental business</a> proprietor and socialite Austin Hills is obviously a man of many hats. In 2022, he pulled papers to run for district attorney, but couldn’t follow through due to an important technicality—<a href="https://sfstandard.com/2022/08/12/son-of-coffee-dynasty-fails-san-francisco-district-attorney-run/">he wasn’t a lawyer</a>.&nbsp;</p>

This year, Hills, a Libertarian, pulled papers to run for mayor, a job for which he’s more technically qualified. On top of that, he’s one of two genuine San Francisco bluebloods to enter the race. Hills pulled papers Sept. 20; Lurie, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-26/levi-strauss-heir-daniel-lurie-enters-san-francisco-mayoral-race">a scion of the Levi Strauss fortune</a>, pulled his on Sept. 26.&nbsp;

<p>This year, Hills, a Libertarian, pulled papers to run for mayor, a job for which he’s more technically qualified. On top of that, he’s one of two genuine San Francisco bluebloods to enter the race. Hills pulled papers Sept. 20; Lurie, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-26/levi-strauss-heir-daniel-lurie-enters-san-francisco-mayoral-race">a scion of the Levi Strauss fortune</a>, pulled his on Sept. 26.&nbsp;</p>

Before people made coffee from pods, Americans made their morning joe from ground coffee packaged in vacuum-sealed cans. Hills Bros., founded in San Francisco in 1878, was first out the gate with that product. The resulting fortune elevated the Hills family into the city’s socialite class, and their Grgich Hills Estate is a stop on the Napa Valley Wine Train. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foxtrot_zulu_india/?hl=en">Hills’ Instagram</a>, titled “Austin Hills for Mayor,” clearly reflects his rarefied lifestyle, complete with expensive cars, hot air balloons and helicopters—as well as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CejOAgdpKln/?hl=en">a visit to Breed’s office</a>.

<p>Before people made coffee from pods, Americans made their morning joe from ground coffee packaged in vacuum-sealed cans. Hills Bros., founded in San Francisco in 1878, was first out the gate with that product. The resulting fortune elevated the Hills family into the city’s socialite class, and their Grgich Hills Estate is a stop on the Napa Valley Wine Train. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/foxtrot_zulu_india/?hl=en">Hills’ Instagram</a>, titled “Austin Hills for Mayor,” clearly reflects his rarefied lifestyle, complete with expensive cars, hot air balloons and helicopters—as well as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CejOAgdpKln/?hl=en">a visit to Breed’s office</a>.</p>

A screenshot of 2024 Candidate for SF Mayor Honest Charley Bodkin is interviewed by Aline Guetta Dinoia, not pictured, on French American TV on Oct. 13, 2023.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/inlined04_20240109guesswhoscomingtomayorsrace.jpg?w=2012" alt="A man stands before a mic; &quot;Honest Charley Bodkin, Mayoral Candidate&quot; is captioned against a Golden Gate Bridge backdrop." class="wp-image-239389"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Honest Charley Bodkin, a 2024 candidate for San Francisco mayor, is interviewed on French American TV on Oct. 13, 2023.</figcaption></figure>


Honest Charley Bodkin: Yes, That’s His Real Name


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-honest-charley-bodkin-yes-that-s-his-real-name">Honest Charley Bodkin: Yes, That’s His Real Name</h2>


The first thing to know about Honest Charley Bodkin is that “Honest” isn’t a nickname. That really is his first name; he’s named after his great-grandfather, which he explains in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz4eiC8Pg7I">this interview</a>. He sees his run as “a platform for positive change” and an opportunity to “inject a few good ideas into the discourse.”

<p>The first thing to know about Honest Charley Bodkin is that “Honest” isn’t a nickname. That really is his first name; he’s named after his great-grandfather, which he explains in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz4eiC8Pg7I">this interview</a>. He sees his run as “a platform for positive change” and an opportunity to “inject a few good ideas into the discourse.”</p>

Along with a name straight out of a James Fenimore Cooper novel, Bodkin, a software engineer currently working for a cybersecurity insurance startup, also has a plan. His “Bear Necessities Party” platform aims for a society where everyone can feel secure in having the bare necessities in life.&nbsp;

<p>Along with a name straight out of a James Fenimore Cooper novel, Bodkin, a software engineer currently working for a cybersecurity insurance startup, also has a plan. His “Bear Necessities Party” platform aims for a society where everyone can feel secure in having the bare necessities in life.&nbsp;</p>

“I had always been dreaming of moving to San Francisco. I made a scale model of the Golden Gate Bridge in the third grade,” Bodkin told The Standard in an interview. &#8220;My love of art, music, as well as technology, there were so many reasons that called me to San Francisco.”

<p>“I had always been dreaming of moving to San Francisco. I made a scale model of the Golden Gate Bridge in the third grade,” Bodkin told The Standard in an interview. "My love of art, music, as well as technology, there were so many reasons that called me to San Francisco.”</p>

<p>“I had always been dreaming of moving to San Francisco. I made a scale model of the Golden Gate Bridge in the third grade,” Bodkin told The Standard in an interview. &#8220;My love of art, music, as well as technology, there were so many reasons that called me to San Francisco.”</p>

Once Bodkin got here, he also discovered some things about the city he didn’t like so much— like its lack of affordability. He’s a proponent of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/12/business/georgism-land-tax-housing.html">the land value tax</a> to incentivize building more and cheaper housing.&nbsp;

<p>Once Bodkin got here, he also discovered some things about the city he didn’t like so much— like its lack of affordability. He’s a proponent of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/12/business/georgism-land-tax-housing.html">the land value tax</a> to incentivize building more and cheaper housing.&nbsp;</p>

“I believe <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/georgism/comments/18tichy/ama_a_land_value_tax_is_in_my_vision_for_my_city/">a land value tax</a> could radically change the calculus around property development right now. A parking lot next to the Salesforce Tower is taxed less, yet the Salesforce Tower offers a lot more value to the city,” he said. “So I would say, &#8216;Let&#8217;s increase the taxes on that parking lot so that folks don&#8217;t just sit on land and speculate on it and that they turn it into something more productive.&#8217;”

<p>“I believe <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/georgism/comments/18tichy/ama_a_land_value_tax_is_in_my_vision_for_my_city/">a land value tax</a> could radically change the calculus around property development right now. A parking lot next to the Salesforce Tower is taxed less, yet the Salesforce Tower offers a lot more value to the city,” he said. “So I would say, 'Let's increase the taxes on that parking lot so that folks don't just sit on land and speculate on it and that they turn it into something more productive.'”</p>

<p>“I believe <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/georgism/comments/18tichy/ama_a_land_value_tax_is_in_my_vision_for_my_city/">a land value tax</a> could radically change the calculus around property development right now. A parking lot next to the Salesforce Tower is taxed less, yet the Salesforce Tower offers a lot more value to the city,” he said. “So I would say, &#8216;Let&#8217;s increase the taxes on that parking lot so that folks don&#8217;t just sit on land and speculate on it and that they turn it into something more productive.&#8217;”</p>

Get to know the longshots running for San Francisco mayor

Shelley D. Fargo

Maryann Jones Thompson

The past year hasn’t been a banner one for San Francisco’s office towers. As the city gained the title of the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/research-data/san-francisco-leads-nation-work-from-home-census/">nation’s work-from-home capital</a>, its <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/san-francisco-braces-for-epic-commercial-real-estate-crash/">commercial real estate sector lost tenants</a>, and as a result, the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/mayor-breed-orders-belt-tightening-as-budget-shortfall-soars/">city now faces a budget shortfall</a> because of lower tax revenue.&nbsp;

<p>The past year hasn’t been a banner one for San Francisco’s office towers. As the city gained the title of the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/research-data/san-francisco-leads-nation-work-from-home-census/">nation’s work-from-home capital</a>, its <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/san-francisco-braces-for-epic-commercial-real-estate-crash/">commercial real estate sector lost tenants</a>, and as a result, the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/mayor-breed-orders-belt-tightening-as-budget-shortfall-soars/">city now faces a budget shortfall</a> because of lower tax revenue.&nbsp;</p>

Last week, Meta announced it would <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/01/19/meta-san-francisco-sublease.html">give up 435,000 of its square feet</a> at the luxury 181 Fremont St. tower, the latest move in the company’s effort to <a href="https://therealdeal.com/2022/10/27/meta-to-spend-3b-to-shrink-office-footprint/">“recalibrate”</a> its leases around the world.&nbsp;The space which primarily housed Instagram&#8217;s employees is now the largest sublease available in San Francisco.&nbsp;

<p>Last week, Meta announced it would <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/01/19/meta-san-francisco-sublease.html">give up 435,000 of its square feet</a> at the luxury 181 Fremont St. tower, the latest move in the company’s effort to <a href="https://therealdeal.com/2022/10/27/meta-to-spend-3b-to-shrink-office-footprint/">“recalibrate”</a> its leases around the world.&nbsp;The space which primarily housed Instagram's employees is now the largest sublease available in San Francisco.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last week, Meta announced it would <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/01/19/meta-san-francisco-sublease.html">give up 435,000 of its square feet</a> at the luxury 181 Fremont St. tower, the latest move in the company’s effort to <a href="https://therealdeal.com/2022/10/27/meta-to-spend-3b-to-shrink-office-footprint/">“recalibrate”</a> its leases around the world.&nbsp;The space which primarily housed Instagram&#8217;s employees is now the largest sublease available in San Francisco.&nbsp;</p>

And though the announcement places Meta at No. 2 in terms of most SF office space left behind in the past year, the top spot is still held by Block: The owner of Square said last June that it would not renew its 470,000-square-foot lease on Market Street when it expires this fall.

<p>And though the announcement places Meta at No. 2 in terms of most SF office space left behind in the past year, the top spot is still held by Block: The owner of Square said last June that it would not renew its 470,000-square-foot lease on Market Street when it expires this fall.</p>

<br>In total, the 2.4 million square feet being vacated by the 10 companies below is about on par with the combined total office space at San Francisco’s three tallest towers—181 Fremont, the Transamerica Tower <em>and</em> the Salesforce Tower.

<p><br>In total, the 2.4 million square feet being vacated by the 10 companies below is about on par with the combined total office space at San Francisco’s three tallest towers—181 Fremont, the Transamerica Tower <em>and</em> the Salesforce Tower.</p>

<em>Correction: The headline for this story was revised to clarify these companies&#8217; moves as &#8220;vacating&#8221; office space rather than &#8220;abandoning&#8221; it.</em>

<p><em>Correction: The headline for this story was revised to clarify these companies' moves as "vacating" office space rather than "abandoning" it.</em></p>

<p><em>Correction: The headline for this story was revised to clarify these companies&#8217; moves as &#8220;vacating&#8221; office space rather than &#8220;abandoning&#8221; it.</em></p>

Here are the tech companies that vacated the most San Francisco office space

Astrid Kane

The sweatiest my palms have ever been was about a quarter of the way up the spire of the Transamerica Pyramid, looking through a set of open metal stairs to the floor 50 feet below.&nbsp;

<p>The sweatiest my palms have ever been was about a quarter of the way up the spire of the Transamerica Pyramid, looking through a set of open metal stairs to the floor 50 feet below.&nbsp;</p>

From sidewalk level, San Francisco’s most famous building seems like any other high-rise—a different shape, sure, but a vertical cubicle farm all the way up. That’s not the case staring down from the summit. The elevators only run to the 48th floor, just below the top of the pyramid’s “shoulders,” those broad, blocky fins approximately 600 feet above the street.&nbsp;

<p>From sidewalk level, San Francisco’s most famous building seems like any other high-rise—a different shape, sure, but a vertical cubicle farm all the way up. That’s not the case staring down from the summit. The elevators only run to the 48th floor, just below the top of the pyramid’s “shoulders,” those broad, blocky fins approximately 600 feet above the street.&nbsp;</p>

The east shoulder contains an elevator bank. The west shoulder functions as a ventilation shaft. It’s an enormous void, a little like a chasm on the Death Star. When a team of three from The Standard got a guided tour that went all the way to the pyramid’s beacon, the railing next to that abyss was essentially base camp.&nbsp;

<p>The east shoulder contains an elevator bank. The west shoulder functions as a ventilation shaft. It’s an enormous void, a little like a chasm on the Death Star. When a team of three from The Standard got a guided tour that went all the way to the pyramid’s beacon, the railing next to that abyss was essentially base camp.&nbsp;</p>

Michaela Neville climbs to the top of the Transamerica Pyramid building on Montgomery Street in San Francisco on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Michael Shvo's renovation of the Transamerica Pyramid is proceeding and we're going on a tour to the very top, specifically to see the light and learn what's coming.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240420_transamericapyramidapex_eg_32.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person is leaning over a white railing at the top of an industrial staircase, looking downwards." class="wp-image-272955"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Michaela Neville climbs to the top of the Transamerica Pyramid&#8217;s spire, via a set of 10 stairways and two ladders that contain 236 steps in all.</figcaption></figure>


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240420_transamericapyramidapex_eg_32.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person is leaning over a white railing at the top of an industrial staircase, looking downwards." class="wp-image-272955"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Michaela Neville climbs to the top of the Transamerica Pyramid's spire, via a set of 10 stairways and two ladders that contain 236 steps in all.</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240420_transamericapyramidapex_eg_32.jpg?w=2500" alt="A person is leaning over a white railing at the top of an industrial staircase, looking downwards." class="wp-image-272955"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Michaela Neville climbs to the top of the Transamerica Pyramid&#8217;s spire, via a set of 10 stairways and two ladders that contain 236 steps in all.</figcaption></figure>

Buildings can be seen from a hole in the pavement of where the light at the top of the Transamerica Pyramid building is kept, on Montgomery Street in San Francisco on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Michael Shvo's renovation of the Transamerica Pyramid is proceeding and we're going on a tour to the very top, specifically to see the light and learn what's coming.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240420_transamericapyramidapex_eg_27.jpg?w=2500" alt="Aerial view of city buildings through a rough-edged hole in a structure." class="wp-image-272954"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Renovation work on the pyramid is very much active, as this hole through a floor hundreds of feet above downtown San Francisco reveals. </figcaption></figure>


To get to the top, we climbed 10 terrifying sets of stairs—and then a ladder that’s followed by another ladder. The spire’s “walls,” we learned, are translucent plastic cladding that’s more or less open to the elements. That means on foggy days, the steps and railings become slick with moisture.

<p>To get to the top, we climbed 10 terrifying sets of stairs—and then a ladder that’s followed by another ladder. The spire’s “walls,” we learned, are translucent plastic cladding that’s more or less open to the elements. That means on foggy days, the steps and railings become slick with moisture.</p>

“Wear comfy shoes,” our guide, a rep for pyramid owner Michael Shvo, had instructed us. “And don’t be afraid of heights.”&nbsp;

<p>“Wear comfy shoes,” our guide, a rep for pyramid owner Michael Shvo, had instructed us. “And don’t be afraid of heights.”&nbsp;</p>

I don’t think of myself as having a fear of heights, but that was before my stomach itself started sweating. Aside from the time I went hang-gliding in Brazil with a guide who didn’t speak English, I can’t remember a time when I was so acutely afraid of losing my grip on a metal bar and plummeting to my death.&nbsp;

<p>I don’t think of myself as having a fear of heights, but that was before my stomach itself started sweating. Aside from the time I went hang-gliding in Brazil with a guide who didn’t speak English, I can’t remember a time when I was so acutely afraid of losing my grip on a metal bar and plummeting to my death.&nbsp;</p>

Eventually, we made it to the space that houses the beacon. Like everything else about William Pereira’s modernist 1972 masterpiece, that dazzlingly intense, bluish light is set to undergo a major overhaul as part of a $400 million renovation. Luxury developer Michael Shvo is reimagining the building from top to bottom, installing amenities like a spa and a sky bar, as well as an all-new lighting scheme that will announce the Transamerica Pyramid’s presence by night the way its distinctive shape already does by day.

<p>Eventually, we made it to the space that houses the beacon. Like everything else about William Pereira’s modernist 1972 masterpiece, that dazzlingly intense, bluish light is set to undergo a major overhaul as part of a $400 million renovation. Luxury developer Michael Shvo is reimagining the building from top to bottom, installing amenities like a spa and a sky bar, as well as an all-new lighting scheme that will announce the Transamerica Pyramid’s presence by night the way its distinctive shape already does by day.</p>

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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-office-as-resort">Office as resort</h2>


Even though the Transamerica Corporation vacated the building in 1999, Shvo has no plans to rename it. Pretty much everything else about it is going to change, though. The guiding principle, of “office as resort,” will bring a vibe associated with luxe tech campuses into downtown San Francisco.&nbsp;

<p>Even though the Transamerica Corporation vacated the building in 1999, Shvo has no plans to rename it. Pretty much everything else about it is going to change, though. The guiding principle, of “office as resort,” will bring a vibe associated with luxe tech campuses into downtown San Francisco.&nbsp;</p>

An aerial drone night view of TransAmerica Pyramid and buildings in San Francisco on March 15, 2024.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/transamerica-pyramid-2.jpg?w=1938" alt="An aerial night view of a brightly lit, pyramid-topped skyscraper amid a grid of city streets." class="wp-image-272948"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An aerial drone night view of TransAmerica Pyramid and buildings in San Francisco on March 15, 2024.</figcaption></figure>


San Francisco Standard Social Media Editor Michaela Neville, Photography intern Estefany Gonzalez and Senior Editor Astrid Kane pose for a selfie in the space at the very top of the Transamerica Pyramid’s spire in San Francisco on April 18, 2024.


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/img_7007.jpg?w=2500" alt="Three smiling people are taking a selfie, with metal beams and netting in the background, suggesting an outdoor setting." class="wp-image-273396"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">San Francisco Standard Social Media Editor Michaela Neville, left, Photography intern Estefany Gonzalez, center, and Senior Editor Astrid Kane pose for a selfie at the very top of the Transamerica Pyramid’s spire.</figcaption></figure>


The ground level has already been redesigned to feel more welcoming. Having bought the pyramid for $650 million in 2020, Shvo enlisted Norman Foster, the British architect best known in the Bay Area for Apple’s spaceship-like headquarters in Cupertino. Foster + Partners raised the Transamerica lobby ceiling by about 4 feet, revealing K-braces and other geometric details that opened it up to the sunlight. Quartz, sourced from the same Mexican quarry as the building’s facade, was mixed with mortar to give the space some extra sparkle that concrete can’t provide. Overall, in the words of one Shvo representative, it was like ripping up tired shag carpet to reveal a parquet wood floor beneath.

<p>The ground level has already been redesigned to feel more welcoming. Having bought the pyramid for $650 million in 2020, Shvo enlisted Norman Foster, the British architect best known in the Bay Area for Apple’s spaceship-like headquarters in Cupertino. Foster + Partners raised the Transamerica lobby ceiling by about 4 feet, revealing K-braces and other geometric details that opened it up to the sunlight. Quartz, sourced from the same Mexican quarry as the building’s facade, was mixed with mortar to give the space some extra sparkle that concrete can’t provide. Overall, in the words of one Shvo representative, it was like ripping up tired shag carpet to reveal a parquet wood floor beneath.</p>

The renovation extends outside the building, too. The redwood plaza behind the pyramid—one of the city’s many <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/08/25/downtown-san-francisco-popos-privately-owned-public-open-spaces/">privately owned public open spaces, or POPOS</a>—is set to reopen to the public later this year. With less concrete hardscape and a more organic feel, it’s intended to make the building, still San Francisco’s second-tallest after Salesforce Tower, feel like less of a monolith.&nbsp;

Downtown San Francisco is full of secret spaces. Here are the best, worst and weirdest

<p>The renovation extends outside the building, too. The redwood plaza behind the pyramid—one of the city’s many <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2023/08/25/downtown-san-francisco-popos-privately-owned-public-open-spaces/">privately owned public open spaces, or POPOS</a>—is set to reopen to the public later this year. With less concrete hardscape and a more organic feel, it’s intended to make the building, still San Francisco’s second-tallest after Salesforce Tower, feel like less of a monolith.&nbsp;</p>

A vestibule at the rear will become a space called the Court Club, and in September, it will house an exhibition of Foster’s work plus a history of the Montgomery Block, the hub for writers and bohemians like Jack London and Mark Twain that once occupied the site. An alley that runs for half a block immediately behind the pyramid, Mark Twain Street, has also been planted with western redbuds, transforming it from its prior incarnation as a loading dock for Recology trucks.&nbsp;

<p>A vestibule at the rear will become a space called the Court Club, and in September, it will house an exhibition of Foster’s work plus a history of the Montgomery Block, the hub for writers and bohemians like Jack London and Mark Twain that once occupied the site. An alley that runs for half a block immediately behind the pyramid, Mark Twain Street, has also been planted with western redbuds, transforming it from its prior incarnation as a loading dock for Recology trucks.&nbsp;</p>

Bullish on the return to physical offices, Shvo is among those who see artificial intelligence as the city’s path out of its prolonged, post-Covid slump—and he’s keen on leveraging the pyramid’s status to lure AI’s funders to become his tenants.

<p>Bullish on the return to physical offices, Shvo is among those who see artificial intelligence as the city’s path out of its prolonged, post-Covid slump—and he’s keen on leveraging the pyramid’s status to lure AI’s funders to become his tenants.</p>

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