Denny's Free Grand Slam Breakfast Day Tuesday
Sarah Palin Calls Global Warming Studies 'Snake Oil' at NorCal Conference
Marina Yoga Studio Donates Old Mats for Haitian Relief
Prop 8 Trial Judge Is Gay; Should This Matter?
Muni Bus Nails a Fire Hydrant
In what could be the story of the century, a Target store might be coming to one of the floors at the Metreon.
We'll let that sink in. Because: OH MY GOD.
According to SF Business Times, "Metreon owners Westfield and Forest City have recently pulled back on several preliminary lease deals at the center and are said to be negotiating to lease an entire floor to Target." This comes on the heels of the Metreon floundering since 2006, seeing numerous stores (like Sony Playstation and Discovery) close. Business Times goes on to say that a Target "would also mark a stark departure from their stated reimagining of the Metreon as a food and culture-centric locale dominated by local stores rather than chains."
We don't see why the tinfoil megaplex at Mission and Fourth Streets couldn't handle both the farmers market and a Target. But if not, who cares; it's Target. The city has enough venues in which we can buy farm-fresh fruit and vegetables.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
YES YES YES YES YES.
If that area needs anything, it's a reasonably priced general merchandise store, NOT more fancy boutiques and department stores. Target could not be more perfect.
TARGET?!?!?!? That would be an all new low for the area. Well, at least it would provide some new giant red shopping carts for the area's homeless.
Yum! Target! Sticky-faced babies and huge asses in stretch-pants!
Of course the everyday savings would go up in smoke after paying for parking in the Mission Street garage.
A Popeye's can't be far behind.
Is it difficult to get through life with sensibilities as delicate as yours? God, i can only imagine the burden of having to be SO stylish and SO moneyed in a world where you run a constant risk of encountering tacky, everyday people.
I think you're confusing Target with Walmart.
Have you been the Target in San Bruno?
Or, have you been TO the Target in San Bruno?
I am not now, nor have I ever been, the Target in San Bruno.
GTFO! Wow, the mind reels.
I guess the Tavern on the Green that was slated for the Metreon isn't going to open there after all, what with it going bankrupt an all.
Also, pls. to install the Popeye's right next to the Target per Ramon's suggestion. Kthx.
Popeye's is Bauer-approved!
Do they have Church's here? They're better. And I'd kill up to three people to get a Wendy's.
Why can't they put a Target in Mervyn Heights? Perfect place for it. target will have trouble in the Metreon because most people need a car to get stuff home. That that car thing there isn't working out so well. They'll need to specialize in smaller stuff, like Ross right there.
5th and Mish garage works just fine for car folks. And I'd much rather drop my tax dollars in my city than Colma. Because while walking around in Target makes my skin itch, it sometimes must be done.
Having lived in downtown Minneapolis which has a fabulous two-level Target store in the heart of the district, I can affirm that a store downtown does indeed work. Carts are not allowed to be brought outside (love those locking wheels), and while yes, sticky-faced babies and stirrup-pants wearing gals are always fair game at a store like Target, the one in Mipples was most frequented by downtown workers and 20-somethings/30-somethings that lived downtwon.
Of course, I'm in support of any idea that ends my trips to that hellish, horrible, den of iniquity otherwise known as the Serramonte SuperTarget.
Yes please!!! I'm sick of driving to Colma for my fix.
Are you guys freaking out because a store is opening up -- one that sells neither salted-caramel ice cream to covert yuppies nor the joys of print publishing to locals youths?
If we could open an American Apparel next to the Target ...
Target would be better off closer to Union Square. The Metreon should be treated as a part of the overall YBCA experience with the arts taking center stage. Having a Target opening onto YBCA's pleasant, open area doesn't make any sense. If I were the YBCA, I would vehemently oppose this use of the Metreon. SFMOMA should buy the Metreon and remodel it to display Don Fisher's art collection. Target should locate to the same building where Marshall's is located across from Nordstrom.
I so agree with Benny! Here we have a largely empty building (Metreon) which could easily be turned into a museum for the Fisher collection! (And/or take over the perennially underfunded YBCA galleries and build a sky bridge to connect to MOMA.)
This still doesn't fix the Metreon.
Tear it down, and then put in whatever the fuck you want. Just get rid of it first.
Gerald Celente is a political forecaster that I really enjoy reading up on. Most of his predictions have been spot-on and one of the things that he predicts in the near future is the emergence of ghost malls and the death of Christmas.
When these large companies go bankrupt not that many people are rushing in to take over their lease. The Circuit City and Tower Records by SF State are still empty. Look at Mervyns. The last time I went to the mall in Daily City that Mervyns was still empty. I think there’s a Party City there now selling Halloween costumes but no one has permanently moved in the fill that space. That makes you wonder how long a mall can survive if one of its largest tenants leaves and no one else can fill that space.
The former Virgin megastore is the perfect place for a Target. If you want to park somewhere and load up, they can offer porters for a small fee to cart it to your location, creating more jobs.
I like that idea, putting it in the Virgin store.
An even better idea -- I think you're right. The former site of the Virgin Megastore is ideal for a Target.
And it's right next to the Powell station.
Hasn't that space already been taken by CB2?
CBS has rented the window space at Virgin, they didn't buy the place. But it sure looks like it. I kept trying to find the door to get in the other day.
I miss the COLT video poster that hung in the upstairs window (facing Market Street) of the former Virgin store for many, many years.
As do I. RIP Colt Poster.
No discussion of urban-setting Targets is complete without this oldie but goodie:
http://gawker.com/017992/party-crasher-target-opening
The last thing this city needs is yet another "food and culture-centric locale dominated by local stores rather than chains." What this town does need is a god damned Target. Raise your hand if you make monthly trips out of SF to visit big box retailers for the purpose of fetching those items our locally owned, "Over Our Heads" inspired, Made in China tschoke filled shops and artisanal salumerias fail to carry. The idea that we can restrict development in this city to nothing but Aaron Peskin/Alice Waters approved specialty boutiques and all-womyn owned third world dildo gallery art collective/interpretive dance companies is mentally retarded.
Also, like LowerNobDenizen, have visited the downtown Minneapolis Target on a number of occasions. It is not filled with sticky faced babies and their stretch pants clad, planet with hair looking mothers, but young professionals and other city dwellers. The suburban element is perfectly satisfied with the shopping in their part of the world, out there someplace. They will not come into the city to visit a Target store because a.) no parking, and b.) the coloreds/gays. Nice try, Ramón.
Ever been to the Daly City/Colma Targets? Most of the folks there are "the coloreds."
Let's not mix our sweeping stereotypes here.
Indeed. While the downtown SF Target will have a high proportion of gays, its coloreds/non-coloreds ratio will be substantially lower than DC/Colma.
I won't go anywhere because of the coloreds/gays. That's why I haven't left my basement in three years.
Will Target bring back HyperBowling? I miss Saturday afternoon Sierra Nevadas and HyperBowling. Why hast thou forsaken me Metreon!!!
: (
HELL NO!!!!
What next? Walmart?
If you want Target, go to Colma.
I'd like to hear your reasoning behind this. Seriously.
Yea me too
You went through registering for this site to say that?
why should sales tax revenues go colma. and the Metreon is an abortion, so anything to bring it back to some semblance of life is ok.
as for "poisoning" the yb experience... people are people, so let's avoid the elitism here - everyone shops at Target at some point.
it would probably bring more folks to the "culture-y" spots if they knew they could stop off at the nearby Target before they went home.
I'm all for Target in downtown SF. My thought is that the foot traffic from a Target (or any other large retailer) would negatively impact the atmosphere in the open lawn area that is right next to the Metreon. In fact, if you've never been there, the Metreon opens up onto the lawn. The environment in that area is very contemplative with the waterfalls dedicated to MLK, nice open grassy areas where people do lay out when the weather is nice, and the area is a very quiet oasis in an otherwise busy, busy neighborhood. It's a great escape from the noise and traffic that you'll experience around there. Shoppers traveling through the area to get to Target (or any other large retailer) would be disruptive.
That's a valid point. Optimistically, though, that'd be the least used exit for the Target. I mean, unless you're going to the Moma after you go to Target, it's likely you'll be walking to or from the 4th and Mission Garage. Even if you took the train, the station's up 4th Street.
I would totally do a SFMOMA/Target double-header.
I disagree. Again, based on my experience from the downtown Minneapolis Target - the store is situated on a pedestrian mall and only attracted additional people to the area - whether it was workers on a weekday or local residents on an evening/weekend. Many people could be seen grabbing lunch/doing shopping and chilling on the mall aftewards. Whats so wrong about that happening in YBG? I hate shopping so the idea of being able to escape to a green space is def appealing. More people in the Metreon/YBG makes it safer and friendlier - and tends to keep those looking to cause trouble away.
And let's face it, the Metreon is dying as it is. A Target store will only serve to revitalize the area in my not so humble opinion. And a store on Market Street and Fourth is a bad idea if for no other reason than there are no nearby parking lots and both Stockton and Market Street are notoriously chocked with traffic/unnavigatable.
As opposed to the normal foot traffic from the Metreon and Jillian's that attract gun-toting teens?
Yeah, totally see your point.
BTW, poisoning and elitism are your words. As for bringing more folks to culture-y spots, we're talking about moving Target one block away while preserving the environment at YBCA.
Do any of the people complaining about a Target in the Metreon ever actually go down to that area? There's a Denny's, Old Navy, Ross, Apple Store, Starbucks, Burlington Coat Factory, and a Container Store all within a block. ...And a mall across the street! How is Target going to ruin everything?
Similarly, do all the people complaining about SF's anti-chain elitism realize there are like 100 chain stores in a 3 block radius of the proposed Target?
I don't think they're (and maybe me) complaining so much about the city's elitism as they are the city's elitists.
Back in the day there were FIVE starbucks within a one square block radius (4th/Mission, 4th/Market, and 3rd/Howard, all still there; in Metreon, now I think gone; and on top of Yerba Buena Gardens, definitely gone). Anyone wanting to limit chain stores in this area missed the bus decades ago.
We should change the name from "Union Square" to "Urban Strip Mall."
The rest of the city can continue business as usual.
Do any of you realize that your proposal to move the planned target to the old tower location is meaningless?
The proposal is to put it in the metreon - just saying you would like it moved or you think it would be better at X does nothing.
I dont know why in this town people think that simply typing something makes it so.
"I totally think target would be awesome on the moon!"
"yeah, seriously - the pedestrian presence will seriously open up the lunar surface"
I thought blogs were a forum to express an opinion. I don't sense that anyone commenting here really believes that by just stating that they would like to move Target to the old Virgin location will make it happen.
I've always thought the perfect location for a Target is right on Union Square where Neiman Marcus is now. Of course, that has a lot to do with how much I loathe Neiman Marcus. A Metreon Target would be just fine. That site needs something, because it is just too sad passing all those empty spaces on the way to the theaters upstairs.
Some of my best friends go to Target.
Target has their own brand box wine, fake upscale chocolates, and guest designers doing lite versions of spendy. What's not to love?
Yes! A Target! What San Francisco needs is another Chinese import shop. Sure, you could walk up to Chinatown and give business to the small shops near Grant St, but why do that when you can serve the wealthy stock holders of Target (TGT last 10/23/2009 4:02pm: 49.03 -0.46 [-0.93%], Market Cap. 36.86B).
What we need during this recession is more jobs in China. Yes, target will create local, low paid jobs, and help crush struggling small business in San Francisco. Vote YES on Target in the Metreon, and vote YES on corporate monoculture. Also, while you are at it, vote YES on Prop. D so we have electronic billboards on Market St to let you know what is currently On Sale at Target!
Sure, you could walk up to Chinatown and give business to the small shops near Grant St,
Their comparably-priced toilet paper scratches my ass. And the toothpaste? Forget about it.
I suggest going to Colma for tissues that meet the quality that your delicate tush requires.
As for the toothpaste, talk to your dentist.
My dentist is part of an HMO...is that too monoculture?
I suggest getting a second opinion.
Wow, your parody of the typical SF lib-tard is shockingly spot on. Bravo!
It never ceases to amaze me how insular and narrow minded recent arrivals to San Francisco are. And by recent arrivals, I mean that you moved here from somewhere else as an adult, be that 20 years ago or last week.
Everyone preaches this laissez faire, live and let live attitude, until they encounter a differing opinion or are personally inconvenienced by the actions of another.
- You can have a political opinion, as long as you're not a Republican.
- You should hate all chain stores, unless it happens to be a Trader Joes.
- You can be spiritual, as long as you're not Catholic.
- You should practice civil disobedience, unless it is inconveniences you personally.
- Street fairs are lots of fun, until it is your street.
And so on...
It's all quite amusing.
I'll never understand why people like Trader Joe's. It's just like Safeway minus the freshness and with a lot more packaging.
You're better off going through a dumpster than shopping at TJs.
I almost bought into the cult of TJ's until *drumroll* they pissed me off. I found this one cheese I really liked - it was a sharp Vermont cheddar. I went there just for that cheese and they stopped carrying it. I asked around and was pretty much told that they no longer carry it.
Now it was just a bunch of stinky crunchy earthy type chicks yapping into their cell phones while blocking an entire aisle staring at the "green" dish detergent trying to make an executive decision.
I'm sure they are all still there. Each and every last annoying one of them.
Haven't been back since.
SF deserves TARGET, Cheap chinese made crap for a cheap chinese made city
a cheap chinese made city
Not that I expect anything else from you, but this doesn't even make sense.
i think he's referring to the railroads.. or something
This is great news! Just think - The Guardian will have something other than PG&E to bitch about!