It's certainly terrible news for Mayor London Breed's bid for reelection this year that another major department store is announcing its closure in the heart of SF. And now Breed seems to be hedging on the news.

Mayor London Breed was on KRON4 Tuesday afternoon doing damage control about this Macy's closure news. And while Macy's hasn't actually commented on the closure itself, it was Breed's own office that did the confirming this morning that the Union Square store is on the chopping block and likely to be sold.

Still, Breed said on KRON4, "The first tranche of locations that they are closing don't include San Francisco. [So] It's not 100 percent certain what would happen to this Macy's and whether or not something could happen between now and then."

Breed also was quick to note that in her conversation with Macy's brass, crime was not brought up as a main factor in this closure — even though the SF Standard ran with this headline about shoplifting being to blame.

"Crime trends are going down," Breed said. "When I talked to folks at Macy's, that was not mentioned in its factors to close because it was about its entire portfolio, it's about the profitability and the changes in retail and how people are shopping."

Breed issued several statements Tuesday about the closure, including an initial one saying she would "work closely with Macy’s and any potential new owner to ensure this iconic location continues to serve San Francisco for decades to come."

The chances of finding another retailer who wants or needs a 400,000-square-foot store seem mighty slim, but maybe traditional retail won't end up being the answer. "I’m also continuing to talk to leaders in retail, business, and real estate about how we can continue to focus on the long-term success of this site and others,” Breed's statement said. "There is tremendous opportunity at this site, and I know this City will continue to draw new investments and ideas."

Breed was also asked by reporters today, per the Chronicle, about whether this news signals doom for big retailers like Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus, and Breed "was unequivocal," the Chronicle says, insisting that those stores are committed to staying put and are doing "really well."

Mayoral hopeful and former SF supervisor (and, briefly, interim mayor) Mark Farrell was quick to leap on this news today, telling the Chronicle it "points to the failed leadership of City Hall over the last five and a half years" and the city "cannot afford another four years" of Breed being in charge."

They failed. Period," Farrell said. “Results matter… this can’t be spun as anything other than a train wreck for this administration."

Among the other Bay Area Macy's locations set to close, the Chronicle reports that the San Rafael location at Northgate Mall is one, and we already learned in January that the Macy's at Bayfair Center in San Leandro is set to close this year.

Previously: Retail Experts Weigh In On Macy's Union Square Closure, Saying Downtown Shopping May Be a Thing of the Past