Gavin Newsom will have a long legacy no doubt, but fans of Method soap products and Paul Frank bedding might remember him most for putting aside the anti-gay controversy and pushing through all the paperwork to approving San Francisco's first Target store. In an announcement yesterday, Gavin described the Minnesota-based chain with all the wide-eyed wonder you might expect from a parent who's expecting, calling the Metreon "the perfect place for a new, urban-centered Target that will bring jobs, smart development and an exciting and unique retail destination." We're not sure how unique it is, but the diaper prices seem reasonable.

In recent years, the Metreon has hardly been the perfect place for anything other than large sports bars and an IMAX theater, but Westfield, Target and the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency are all optimistic. The new Target will occupy about 85,000 square feet on the second floor of the Metreon and includes plans to expand the food court with a new dining terrace overlooking Yerba Buena Gardens. Westfield, who also owns the annoyingly-spelled San Francisco Centre around the corner on Market Street, is putting up $30 million for the construction project that will begin in January 2011, with the store expected to open in January 2012.

[SFAppeal]