You'll recall that Governor Jerry Brown decided last year that one thing he could probably pretty easily kill off, and net a few billion dollars in the state budget without the public caring very much, was redevelopment. No one knows what it is! There are 400 redevelopment agencies in cities across the state which for over 60 years have used a complicated methodology of collecting property tax surpluses to help finance development projects in blighted areas, and to build affordable housing. These departments, typically housed within city governments, have a February 1 deadline to dissolve themselves, and in places like Oakland which used redevelopment money to fund various salaries in other departments (and on the City Council), this could mean laying off hundreds of people. more ›

The California Supreme Court ruled this morning that the state is free to eliminate redevelopment agencies across California and take $1.7 billion of their funds under Sacramento-approved legislation passed earlier this year. The measure, AB26, was approved by Jerry Brown in an attempt to inject some funds back in to the State budget, but was quickly followed by a lawsuit from an association of redevelopment agencies and California cities. more ›

The Wall Street Journal shines a spotlight on S.F.'s largest new part of town, Mission Bay, and tries to show both sides of the debate on whether the area is successfully meeting its redevelopment goals or whether it's just a huge, cold, out-of-scale failure. They note that Salesforce.com is hoping to move in with a sprawling office campus, including a plaza with huge pink Jumbotron in the middle of it (see rendering at right). Salesforce still has to go up against the City's Design Review Board, and they're leaving open the possibility of simply moving somewhere else. more ›

17 years in the making, the MacArthur Transit Village project has finally broken ground, making way for what will be a huge and potentially transformative development in a fairly desolate part of Oakland. The project, sponsored in part by the Oakland Community and Economic Development Agency and the Federal Transit Authority, will ultimately include a 624-unit residential project on the site of what is now the MacArthur BART's parking lot. more ›

The fight over redevelopment in California is still far from finished, but Democratic lawmakers on a key state legislative committee took a step that could hurry the death knell along yesterday. The conference committee voted to approve the governor's proposed budget that cuts Adult Day Care, limits doctor's visits for the poor, and kills redevelopment agencies in cities across the state. They took the added step of sending the budget along for a vote by the full Legislature, which could happen as early as Wednesday, months ahead of schedule. The plan also include $14 billion in new taxes. more ›

"The California Report" on KQED today takes on the subject of redevelopment and Jerry Brown's plan to eradicate hundreds of redevelopment agencies in the state. We've already wondered if the cuts are going to stand, or if this is not just politicking on Brown's part in order to reign in a program that has gotten a bit out of hand, or strayed from its purpose. The argument is that redevelopment has become a too enormous and ill-defined funnel for tax dollars, many of which are just going to to development (of stadiums, say) and not toward eradication of blight. more ›

Board of Supervisors meetings haven't been quite as exciting after the 11th-hour fireworks that went down just before the class of snooze-thousand-eleven took their seats last month. Hopefully, the rookies will find their stride soon enough and start sniping at each other about banning non-vegan rubber bike tires or what have you, but as today's full board meeting gets underway (like, now-ish - you should tune in) we thought we might highlight some of the issues on today's agenda that seem to have people talking. more ›

We know most of you are probably not on the edge of your seats waiting to see how Jerry Brown's threats to kill redevelopment in California shake out, but we thought we'd keep reporting on the issue because we think it's important, and because Jerry's banking on voters not really caring either way because they don't understand it. Redevelopment has become a political pawn, something beloved by mayors and city economic development departments but not often understood by the public, and occasionally misused by cities and occasionally corrupt city officials. more ›

The second phase of the Hunters Point Shipyard Redevelopment Plan was released yesterday by Lennar Corporation. If approved by the City's Redevelopment Agency next Tuesday, the second phase will add 159 townhomes and flats (and a bocce ball court, because you know, we're worldly and Euro-sophisticated here in San Fran-Cisco!) to the 88 townhomes that will be built during the first phase, starting early next year. more ›

Want to hear and participate in a thought-provoking discussion about planning regional transportation? Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. you can head on down to SPUR's (a.k.a. the San Francisco Planning + Research Association) office at 312 Sutter St. (@ Grant), 5th floor. While open to the public, it will cost you $5 if you're not a member (membership details can be found here). The discussion will involve regional social justice, transit, walking, and bicycling advocates, and is coordinated by the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (TALC), in an effort to influence the next Regional Transportation Plan. more ›

Even when Tapioca Ed's out of the country, the news keeps popping up! Here's today's latest Bobagate news. more ›

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San Francisco unveiled some shiny new plan to win back the affections of the Niners yesterday. The plan includes a redevelopment of Candlestick Point and Hunters Point and features a new stadium for the Niners, lots of parks, lots of housing, office space and a new arena. Best part? Supposedly the plan means no money down for the city. So far, there is no truth to the rumors that the plan also includes lots of shiny, pretty ponies for everybody to have. more ›

The latest involving the Niners is that yesterday Aaron Peskin jumped into the fray. Peskin had dinner with the accidental John York Thursday night and on Friday, he, along with Sophie Maxwell, said they'd introduce a resolution to move forward with the development at Candlestick Point and the Hunters Point shipyard. The idea being, of course, that instead of waiting for the Niners to figure out what they're doing, the city should move ahead and just do it. There's two reasons for this. One is that everyone wants to build stuff there anyways so why not just get the ball rolling. The other is that if things fall apart in Santa Clara, things will be all ready to go here. more ›

While most of us were either not working or goofing off at work last week, Gavin stepped up and sent the 49ers yet another proposal to keep the team from moving. This proposal? How's about building a new stadium at the Hunters Point Naval Yard. The Niners were nonplussed. more ›

-Majority of SF Police Commission call for investigation on why there's a high percentage of blacks arrested. -Judge says Hearst and MediaNews Group Inc deal can't go forward as of yet. more ›

It's another installment of.... Who's! Attacking! Newsom! Now! Where we compile all the negative things people are saying about the San Francisco mayor and report it in bullet form! We'll run a Who's Defending Newsom Now post next, as soon as we find someone defending Newsom, besides Peter Ragone. So here's the list! more ›

-A mother and son who were considered missing this morning were found in Oakland early yesterday afternoon. Amber Alert cancelled. Is it totally wrong of us to really hate how they break into TV shows to broadcast an Amber Alert? more ›

Guess who got endorsed on the cover by last week's winner, the Bay Guardian? Where's the green beads, Chris? Letters about fixie bikes, and Tim Redmond notes that Renee Saucedo shouldn't have endorsed Prop 90 (the overbroad eminent domain one). Dan Noyes, gadfly. Also endorsed by the Guardian: Phil Angelides, Jerry Brown, Leland Yee, Barbara Lee, and Krissy Keefer. And Steven T. Jones had nothing at all to do with their endorsement of Alix Rosenthal. Did he have anything to do with the Alix flyer inserted in the paper? Sonic Reducer brings sexy back. Marke B had a nice time at the Love Parade. L.E. Leone's friend Carrie is moving to New York. And Gavin Newsom's horoscope: He is classically associated with the arts. more ›

--Former HP board chair Patricia Dunn and leading Palo Alto attorney Larry Sonsini will testify before Congress about that whole leak thing. more ›

You know who's going to be upset about those Bikini Bandits? The Houston school system. Houstonist also reports on some redevelopment shenanigans over a landmark theater. more ›

--Zephyr Realty's not going to sell TICs where protected people (seniors, disabled) were Ellis Acted out anymore. more ›

Gavin Newsom's beleaguered this week! So beleaguered we're breaking it down into two posts! more ›

Sasha dishes the news about TechConnect -- RFP deadline went by without so much as a press conference. Big news is that Google and Earthlink have teamed up, and that Houston's recent WiFi RFP was made public (The City threatened to sue when theirs was leaked). Francisco De Costa claims a victory after the public forum on Bayview redevelopment. San Jose Inside's Single Gal takes a look at the six folks who want Ron Gonzalez' job. And Pepper offers some analysis on the reports that Herr Governator's rising in the polls again. more ›

San Francisco Japantown's seen a lot in the last 100 years -- from the influx of Japanese-American immigrants after the 1906 earthquake and the development of an ethnic community, to the forced displacement of those same immigrants to internment camps in World War II, and a controversial redevelopment scheme to welcome back San Francisco Japanese-Americans, at the expense of the African-Americans who'd moved into the area in the meantime. And now, over this backdrop of repeated economic emigration, you can get udon, a shiatsu massage, and crepes there! As J-Town's centennial celebration gets underway, a new phase of redevelopment is emerging for the 21st century -- the Osaka-based owners of the Kintetsu Mall, the centerpiece of the Japan Center complex, have announced that they've put the building on the market. They own not only the Kintetsu section of the mall (the one with Benihana in it) but also the Miyako Mall (the one with the bridge), the Radisson, and the Best Western up the street. And FYI, the Kabuki Theater is also up for sale, but in a separate transaction through AMC. The Kinokuniya building (with Sophie's Crepes and the awesome Kinokuniya stationery store is under separate ownership (by the eponymous bookstore) and is not for sale -- or at least not yet. At a community meeting last night, the local attorneys representing the Kintetsu owners pledged that they would work with Osaka HQ to ensure that any sale would be made to a buyer who would recognize the historic and cultural value of the space, and Gavin Newsom and Ross Mirkarimi promised that the city would put incentives in place to make sure that happened (because, in part, the city owns those garages underneath the mall.) However, the attorneys weren't sure how much pull they'd have, in part because the deal is almost done. Here's hoping the community can work together to make sure the sad history of redevelopments in the J-Town area don't repeat themselves this time around. more ›

Rarely a day late, always a few dollars short. more ›

Shirley Jackson, put down that rock! At 7:30 a.m. yesterday, the SF Redevelopment Agency hosted a low-income housing lottery that attracted over 4300 applicants. The SF Redevelopment Agency, along with Centurion Real Estate, are offering 20 condos right by Pac Bell SBC AT&T Park at crazy prices -- studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms with market values between $500,000 to $1.3 mill are going for between $85-233K. They're offering 7 houses to low-income residents (about $46,500 for a single person, and $66,500 for a family of four) and 13 to moderate-income residents ($73,150 single, $104,500 family of four), with preference going to people who were previously displaced from low-income housing. There's also a cap on the equity you can build up in the house (the Redevelopment Agency will set your resale price when you move, so other low- or moderate-income families can move in). But you certainly can't beat the view in that neighborhood! 150 names were drawn, but pretty much everyone expects that the first 20 people are going to snap up their houses, if they can qualify for fixed-rate mortgages. Don't worry, though, SF expects to make more such opportunities available in the Mission Bay area, the Western Addition, and Bayview/Hunters' Point. more ›

Last week's winner, the East Bay Express: Life sucks in Haiti. Hybrids -- they may look cute, but their silent wheels make them angels of death for visually-impaired pedestrians! Cover article: Day in the life of the Homeland Security agent patrolling the bay in a gunboat. Down In Front thought the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show blew. Yay, Green Day! Yay, Blackalicious! And Savage Love: a baaaaaad experience with a mistaken-gender date, and an invitation to send your thoughts about it to Dan. Should be an interesting column next week! And some sad news from the other New Times affiliate, the SF Weekly: we got a tip that publisher John Mecklin will be leaving, as of next week. No! Who will Mr. Brugman fight with now? Thanks for all the fun over the last eight years, Mr. Mecklin, and we wish you the best of luck for whatever you do next. Weekly: Matt Smith's hilariously bad afternoon the day the beer truck blew up, which segues only somewhat seamlessly into a discussion about how we're misusing transportation money from Congress. Awesome Ted Rall about disasters across this great land. Are you an apologist for FEMA? Cover article: the Lower Fillmore area -- in-fighting about its redevelopment. Is Little Star better than Zachary's (or is it just SF snobbery?) The lead singer from Xiu Xiu. And Mecklin loves trance music. We'll miss you, big guy! After the jump: The Bay Guardian, the Metro, and the pick of the week. more ›

San Francisco's favorite but least read Q&A columnist, the Essefficist, answers questions about simple math, bay windows, and the Transbay Terminal. more ›

Usually, when SFist hears that a former industrial brownfield is being cleaned up and rehabilitated, we think of that as good news. But apparently not everyone does. more ›