Over in white-hot SoMa, another property that could be making a whole lot of money for one developer is set to become the site of the next battle between that developer and a coalition of development foes (namely Art Agnos and Aaron Peskin) and small business owner tenants: The San Francisco Flower Mart. The 58-year-old wholesale market at 6th and Brannan (once touted by Martha Stewart as the best of its kind) was rumored to be endangered over the last couple months after Kilroy Realty Corp. was in negotiations to purchase 1.9-acre property. Kilroy then set minds at ease briefly saying it was only going to developing a portion of the property as a tech campus and leaving most of the Mart alone. But now the Business Times reports that the California Flower Market is in confidential negotiations with "a developer it would not identify," obviously Kilroy, to release control of the entire Flower Mart property and create some kind of replacement market space in a new building.

Given current zoning and the Planning Department's recommendations, the site could be redeveloped with up to 85 feet in height, as Socketsite reports.

Kilroy had previously discussed building only office space on one-third of the property, but they have now stated intends to “preserve the Flower Mart for the long term” which seems like it may include a mixed-used project and a ""state-of-the-art replacement space for the floral industry."

Agnos and Peskin joined in a rally/press conference Wednesday at the Flower Mart with flower growers who remain concern about rising rents and disruption of their businesses. Peskin already played a key role in killing a plan by the Academy of Art to take over the property in 2008.

The Mart, housed in multiple stalls and inside several buildings, is one of only seven of its kind in the country, and features stalls rented by growers throughout the local region and the state — both the San Francisco Growers' Association and the California Flower Market (the site owner) control of parts of the property. As the Chronicle reports, tenants say they have not had any direct contact with the developer or with their landlord, the Growers' Association.

At Wednesday's news conference, as the Examiner reports, Peskin said, "Now I have reason to distrust Kilroy," and Agnos came out swinging as well, saying, "Kilroy is simply trying to make more profits. The whole city can't be for programmers."

As the more politically attuned of you probably know, Agnos and Peskin were also instrumental in killing the 8 Washington project (which may or may not be totally dead), and in scaring the Warriors off of Piers 30-32.

And as CBS 5 reports in the coverage below, Flower Mart tenants currently only have 130 days left on their long-term leases.

[SF Business Times]
[Chron]
[Socketsite]
[CBS]
[Examiner]

Previously: Is San Francisco's Flower Mart About to Become Office Space? [Curbed]