The ongoing saga surrounding developments at Mission and 21st Streets got a new chapter this morning when the SF Business Times reported Gus Murad has unloaded the former Giant Value property to Oyster Development Group. The new owners intend to follow through on Murad's original plan to develop the Giant Value as condos and retail space (a plan Gus has had some trouble with in the past). more ›

In an effort to the eradicate the stench of plebeian home ownership, Newsom's had some sort of inane condo lottery bypass fee in his budget, one that would've charged potential homeowners $4,000 to $20,000. SocketSite reports that it's officially dead now, claiming, "By way of a plugged-in tipster and Supervisor Carmen Chu, San Francisco's Budget and Finance Committee 'voted 3-1 on Monday to table/not to advance the [one-time condo conversion lottery bypass for a fee] proposal forward.'" Delightful news. Update: Or not! [Examiner, SocketSite, via Curbed] more ›

While some Valencia Street merchants and Geary Boulevard business owners would have you believe that San Francisco is a bastion of overpriced boutique stores and inaccessibility, respectively, most of you are too smart to believe such tripe. A city is, arguably, meant to grow. Onward and upward, right? Right. more ›

While the news is a few weeks old, it stings fresh as this morning's rain. See, word has it that the new plan to turn part of Nob Hill's Fairmont Hotel (which, oh noes, is a CHAIN!) into condominiums will mean an end to its famed Tonga Room. Ack, is right. Plans call for deconstructing the tower and replacing its rooms with as many as 160 condos. (.pdf warning) And said plans do not include keeping the best place in the city to drink rum while watching a band perform KOIT classics in the middle of a pool. Does this mean the Tonga Room will go the way of the 711 Club and 177 Townsend (Club Universe)? Probably. But as Curbed points out seven tiki lounges will still remain in San Francisco. more ›

Now that few can afford to buy, well, anything, what will happened to the promised Mission Bay/South Beach lifestyle? Much like Rincon Hill, We hear vacancies abound over there. more ›