PM Linkage: New Parklet Coming to SoMa; America's Cup Woes; Home Bar Envy; More!

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34th America's Cup Race: America's Cup Agreement Gets One Step Closer to Closing

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Thursday, February 23, 2012, by Philip Ferrato

The Budget Committee of the BOS voted last night to move the America's Cup agreement on to the full board for a vote on Tuesday, February 28. The biggest sticking point, Pier 29, had been taken off the table earlier in the day. There's still further clarifications needed to the local hire provisions and the 1% transfer tax on future condo sales but encouragingly, the ACOC promised to pay $12M by the end of June towards their $32M commitment. The committee was mostly concerned about how much the city would lose financially over the six decades of the agreement. We watched part of the 5-hour proceedings on SFGovTV, and damn, they were dull. Everyone's so polite! Although one speaker challenged the committee to "not lose this like you did the 49ers." In a "we share your pain" moment, a speaker from the Golden Gate Conservancy reported that they still had not come an agreement with the Event Authority to use Crissy Field for spectators. Otherwise, the public comments were mostly about local hiring practices and not finance, plus the usual "how great the America's Cup is going to be" boosters going on about how sailing is not a rich man's sport. To which we'd add "but the America's Cup is."
· SF Advances Plan For America's Cup [SF Gate]
· America's Cup Coverage [Curbed Sf Archives]

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[America's Top Cities] PPSF Cheaper Than Iraq?

Here’s an infographic that caught my eye – largely because they used my Manhattan 2Q 2011 PPSF of $1,068. Not sure of the validity of all the numbers but it’s got to feel a little weird in Denver or Atlanta to realize you are cheaper than Al Kut, Iraq.

[click graphic below to expand]

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34th America's Cup Race: The Embarcadero: Used-Yacht Lots, More Marinas in Your Future?

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Monday, August 22, 2011, by Philip Ferrato

Kudos to the Chronicle's John King for his piece today on the future recreational marinas that may appear in the the two last open water areas along the Embarcadero. As people wade through the America's Cup Draft EIR, the questions are beginning to sound like "did we give away the store?" in the Host Agreement for the race, and King brings up the point that the Event Authority and their planners, Aecom, have identified the Cupid's Arrow-adjacent Rincon Hill basin for temporary berthing of private spectator boats, including mega-yachts. If the Event Authority (Ellison & Friends) has to pay to dredge these two open areas to accommodate large boats, such dredging gives them the right to develop the sites into commercial recreational marinas. From the DEIR:

The Host Agreement identifies both the Rincon Point and Brannan Street Wharf Open Water Basins as locations for temporary berthing and, if the Event Authority pays to dredge the Basins, this would trigger long-term development rights for construction of a marina in each location… development of long term marinas within the Rincon Point or Brannan Street Wharf Open Water Basins would be considered a significant and unavoidable impact.

The Event Authority is probably getting bids right now to dredge the Brannan Street basin next to Pier 30, which will be home to some of the race's big boats, plus it's across the street from Sea Wall Lot 330, the W-shaped lot owned by Ports that was ceded to the Event Authority for development.

Over here at Curbed SF's A-Cup Headquarters, we're thinking "mega-yacht"="red herring". It's a loose term, but these are boats starting at 150 feet in length, and we almost never see them in the Bay Area. They cost over $20M (second-hand) and most owners defray their costs by renting them out by the week. Depending on the week, these charters start at around $300K- a week plus fuel and food. Where are these boats? In the winter, many are in the Caribbean. In the summer, they tend to be in the Northern Mediterranean, from Turkey across to Spain. They tend not to be on our Pacific Coast, except for a few hardy expedition boats, plus some in San Diego and Mexico. The East Coast of Africa to the China Sea? No way, too many pirates. So the odds of sending your empty, fully-crewed boat in August from Cannes or Calvi across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal while it could be rented out for $500K a week to a fellow from Dubai? Not bloody likely, and we're thinking the Rincon basin may instead become a two-year used-yacht lot for boat brokers. So be careful about giving out those dredging permits, OK?
· Cups Yacht Plans Threatens Our Wide-Open Bay Views [SF Gate]
· Fraser Partners With America's Cup [The Triton]
· Fraser Yachts [Fraser Yachts]

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34th America's Cup Race: Marina Green: Leave It as You Found It, A-Cup

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Tuesday, August 2, 2011, by Philip Ferrato

Curbed SF looks at the America's Cup DEIR and the race's impact on neighborhoods. Part of a series.

Not surprisingly, Marina Green turns out to be prime viewing for the America's Cup, and unlike it's neighbor to the west, Crissy Field, has no endangered species or Plover nesting grounds. And according to the DEIR, there are no plans for permanent changes, unlike some piers we know of. During the 2012 races, the big swath of lawn will be the site of the main America's Cup VIllage while Piers 27/29 get their makeovers. With the addition of a floating dock, the site will feature three big tents- one as big as 160x140 feet and 40 feet high- along with smaller tents for the usual suspects, food, toilets retail, and VIPs. Plus maybe a big-screen monitor or two and bleacher seating for 2000 paid spectators.

During the events, it appears that any enhanced mass transit will move along Lombard Street going west and east along Greenwich Street, and if you plan on driving, it's expected that all cars will be banned north of Lombard except for residents, members of the St. Francis and Golden Gate Yacht Clubs, and event-related vehicles. The DEIR is silent on access or parking for boat owners in the East and West Marinas who are not members of the two yacht clubs. And it looks like the entire area will be fenced. The plan shows three "entry gates" which are missing from the rendering, and there's no word on how long the Green's closure will be for construction, the races, and break-down. While the DEIR judges Marina Green to be a high-impact area, because the installations are temporary, there's no need for any mitigation. The DEIR does promise, however, that the lights will go off at 11PM.
· America's Cup DEIR Coverage [Curbed SF Archives]

Images: Aecom via the San Francisco Planning Department

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34th Americas Cup Race: The People Plan: Getting Serious About Those 200K Visitors

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, April 1, 2011, by Philip Ferrato

Americas Cup Viewing Areas (click on the image to open in a new window)
[Credit: Americas Cup]

What to do with 200,000 people in one weekend? Aside from stocking up on toilet paper, it's important to figure out how you're going to move them around, and the city's doing just that with the People Plan, released yesterday amidst much fanfare at Justin Herman Plaza. And as expected, the plan is ambitious, starting with the press release headline:

Draft Plan Seeks Further Public & Stakeholder Input, Aims to Create Most Transit, Bicycle and Pedestrian-Friendly Major International Sporting Event in History

The plan's not especially radical and focuses on the next two years. In the short-term, the project's been divided into four areas:
? Transit options will be "robust"
? Bicycles to take advantage of the flat Embarcadero and North Waterfront
? Feet- you'll need them for the "Natural Pedestrian Corridors"
? Cars? Not bloody likely. Probably not north of Market or south of Fort Point

Of course, there's the long-term, some of which is in the pipeline: the Jefferson Street project to re-invent FIsherman's Wharf, the expansion of the F to the Marina (now under Federal review, EIR's in the mail) and the Laguna-to-Lyon Streets improvements to Marina Green, the Masonic Street corridor into the Presidio.

(click on the image to open in a new window)
[Credit: Americas Cup]

Presumably the GGNRA and the Presidio Trusts have their own fish to fry. Will the Presidio finally get its hotel? Will the Golden Gate Bridge close to cars for the final race? No mention of Treasure Island as a viewing area.

The Plan recognizes some serious issues, the most pressing, of course, is getting everything ready in time. There will probably be auto permitting for residents and vendors near the viewing areas so they can get around street closures. There will be permitting for spectator boats. It mentions the potentially unwelcome tour buses. We imagine there will be a discreet overlay of VIP transit- it's a sponsored event, after all- and there must have been something about handicapped access but we missed it. Seriously, we suggest you read it. It's your civic duty. There's no doubt the next two years will be transformative, and the city's accepting input via americascup@sfgov.org. And of course, you're welcome to comment below.
· Mayor Lee, Supervisors and SFMTA announce People Plan [Americas Cup]
· People Plan (PDF) [Americas Cup]

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Americas Next Zero Waste Coordinator: The detailed plan also describes...

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Friday, April 1, 2011, by Philip Ferrato

? Back to top

? Previous: House Porn for Creepers

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Rent vs. Buy: More Affordable to Buy in 72% of America’s 50 Largest Cities

Rent vs. Buy: More Affordable to Buy in 72% of America’s 50 Largest Cities

Trulia released the findings of its Q1 2011 Rent vs. Buy Index today. When we compared the median list price for a two-bedroom apartment, condo or townhouse with one year’s worth of rent for similar property, it’s actually more affordable to buy in 72% of America’s largest cities. To illustrate which cities are more affordable to buy or to rent, we created a cool interactive map to help people make smarter real estate decisions. Check it out!

Click on the slideshow below for the full Rent vs. Buy Index findings, including the top 10 cities where it’s more affordable to buy and to rent:

Trulia’s Rent vs. Buy Index - Q1 2011

View more presentations from Trulia.Related PostsTrulia.com Introduces Rent vs. Buy IndexTrulia’s Rent vs. Buy Index Reveals Top 10 Cities For Renting, Owning HomesIs it a good time to buy?Trulia Voices | Top 10 Questions of the WeekConsumers on Trulia Speak - Is Home Ownership Still a Part of Your American Dream?Popularity: 2% [?]

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