All stories about "Gavin Newsom"

This spring, the Trust for Public Land announced its corporate-backed plan to revitalize Hayes Valley Playground, Balboa Park and Boeddeker Park; the Trust endeavored to raise $4 million to match the funds shelled out by Banana Republic, Levi Strauss, PG&E, and other mega-Co.'s. With an August 31st deadline swiftly approaching and only $2 million in the bank, Gav & The Gang swooped in to save the day, offering to make up the difference with monies pulled from the city's capital fund— $1.55 million in 2008-09 and $1 million in 2009-10. Nabe groups are thrilled (for once!) as Hayes Valley anticipates a fully renovated rec center and less scary-looking fencing. Balboa Park hopes for a new baseball diamond and a water fountain or two; Hayes is up in 2009, Balboa in 2010, and Boeddeker in 2011.
· The City pulls through for parks [Examiner]
· Dogs, Kids Await Multi-Million $$$ Park Makeover [Curbed SF]
· Hide and Seek: Gavin to "Find" Parks Funding [Curbed SF]

Weekend warriors should expect to see 35 of these puppies lining Crissy Fields Promenade from now through October 12th as part of "Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet," some earth-loving initiative designed to depict "simple" solutions to global warming. Totally simple problem, people! We're a little unclear on the project— is each globe accompanied by an interpretive text telling the viewer what they, too, can do for the planet? Or are we supposed to use our imaginations here? Gavin & the Gang unveiled the atrocity public art project in a ceremony earlier in the day. Hey, all we know is that the project is sponsored by Toyota, OK? (Oh, and that they'll be auctioned off as per the cows, hearts, and other charity plop projects that tend to pop up around the country.) [Curbed Inbox]

Gavin's going ga-ga for tidal power— among all things green, as we all well know— and he's sworn that he's not gonna take no for an answer. In fact, after throwing his weight behind a financially suspect fantasy project to place tidal turbines beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, Gav went a little further yesterday while checking out a device that will measure the tidal energy potential at Ocean Beach. Don't even bother trying to get him to give it up this time: "I don't want to leave office — and I have to at a certain point — without having a pilot demonstration project actually in the water, generating electricity. I'm not leaving this particular office, even if it means running for Contra Costa supervisor, until this is done." Steady there, big guy...
· Newsom pledges city will harvest power from sea [Examiner]
· Enviroheads Cast Doubt on Tidal Turbines [Curbed SF]
· Greenie Gavin Harnesses the Tides [Curbed SF]

Greener Than Thou is our report on San Francisco’s obsession with all things green, calling bullshit in the poseurs and lavishing praise on those who have secured their place in environmental paradise. Let it mellow longer than most? Holler!

When it comes to greening San Francisco, what the Gav wants, the Gav gets. His newest victory comes in the form of new nationally-hyped green building codes, singed into law yesterday. The new codes, aimed at water & energy conservation, recycling, and the reduction of carbon emissions, apply to all residential construction and large commercial buildings. They won't all take affect at once though — they'll phased in over the next four years. Large buildings undergoing evaluation according to the infamous LEED rating system will have to meet the less-stringent requirements of the GreenPoint rating system, as will smaller construction projects. Even though the directive has wide support, there are still detractors.

Following Mayor Gavin's executive decree to open the floodgates to wind power (pardon the imagery there), today's Examiner takes a gander at the state of turbines in our, as it turns out, not-so-windy city. Though wind turbine projects are being fast-tracked now, it seems few places in the city actually "harbor wind-energy potential." To head off a slew of dead turbines popping up everywhere, the city advises wind lovers to plunk down $150 for a wind "anemometer" first to measure wind potential. But... wait, what's this? At this pivotal moment in San Francisco's wind turbine history, who else should rear her head than Robin "complete bullshit" Wilson, of Sunset Idea House infamy? The green matron has apparently founded her own wind turbine company, and is a member of the city's urban wind-power task force. The plot thickens as we speak! Meanwhile, said task force is said to be mulling an offshore wind farm — just imagining the planning meetings for that one has our spines all a-tingle.
· The magic of wind power [Examiner]
· Greener Than Thou: Gavin Hearts the Turbines [Curbed SF]
· Curbed SF Sunset Idea House Archives (snuggles!)

Yes, the Board of Supervisors did ban the sale of tobacco in pharmacies— that highly-controversial mandate passed at last night's board meeting. Hidden in plain sight at the very bottom of the Chron's report on the ban, however, is another gem: The Supes also elected (unanimously, at that) to place a measure on the November ballot that will create a Historic Preservation Commission. If voted into power— and judging by the city's track record, one might safely assume that it will be— the Commission will encrypt historical buildings, landmarks, and neighborhoods at will, "saving" all from harm (and repair). Commission members will be hand-picked by Mayor Newsom; Peskin was initially set to spearhead the effort, though with his recent election as head of SF's Democratic Committee, we wonder if he'll be able to serve on both. This is serious, folks: if the Historical Preservation Commission is, in fact, voted into place, its decisions will trump those of the Planning Commission which, unlike most cities— welcome to SF!— has authority over issues of preservation, too. So yes, if Peskin (or his replacement puppet master) have their druthers, the Commission won't only wield power over a couple of Vics and crumbling theater or twelve. Affordable housing, zoning discrepancies, building heights— all could fall under its jurisdiction. Serious business here, people.
· Board passes tobacco ban in pharmacies [SF Gate]
· Peskin Proposes Preservation Board, NIMBYs Rejoice [Curbed SF]
· Serious Shitshow: Curbed Presents the Pagoda Theater [Curbed SF]
· Trouble in CAMP Land: "Adverse Effects" Feared [Curbed SF]
· Preservationists Prevail: Supes Zap Bayview Housing [Curbed SF]

San Francisco's Board of Supervisors unanimously approved what is mostly likely the nation's largest and most comprehensive green-centric building code overhaul. Designed by Mayor Newsom's Green Building Task Force, the codes will help lead San Francisco into its place in environmental paradise by reducing carbon emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by the magical date of 2012, a reduction of 60,000 tons. Expect to see existing rules go green over the next five years. Though an always-confident Gavin denies it, construction and property costs should also rise during the transition— hey, it's not easy or cheap being green.
· SF: Supervisors Approve Green Building Ordinance [CBS 5]
· Gavin Swears Greening Won't Send City into Red [Curbed SF]

Storefronting is Curbed's regular look at the changing retail scene, with an emphasis on how it impacts neighborhoods. Opening a store? See a store that's opening? Deliver the intel.

Click the image above to view the full photogallery.

This evening marks the end of a long, dramatic road for the Prada flagship store at 210 Post Street. The odyssey began back in 2001 with a classically "San Francisco" battle royale between preservationists, the Planning Commission, and philistines alike over architect Rem Koolhaas' building design (which, incidentally, Chron architecture critic, John King, likened to a cheese grater). As the one might predict given the ongoing civil war over Gluckman Mayner's CAMP museum in the Presidio, the haters prevailed: Seven long years later, we have a tastefully understated storefront replete with some very well played window vignettes, if we do say so ourselves. Curbed operatives paid a visit to the premises yesterday, taking note of said displays and the newly unwrapped building. While we spotted a few swells taking a sneak peek last night, the grand fête kicks off later this evening (with Team Gavin and Jennifer in attendance, natch).
· Storefronting Update: Prada, Diesel Debut Dates [Curbed SF]
· Storefronting: Union Square Mega Retail Edition [Curbed SF]
· Storefronting: Prada en Route (On The Reals) [Curbed SF]

"This is a rare moment of consensus from virtually every sector." Whenever those words are spoken by a Supervisor, our Spidey-sense starts tingling because as we well know, nothing is so easily agreed upon in San Francisco. So what is it that has Supervisor Peskin feeling so optimistic? Tax hikes— tax hikes targeted towards big business and wealthy property owners that would double the real estate transfer tax on properties worth $5M or more. A couple of complications though: Not everyone approves the plan (we knew it!), most notably Mayor Newsom, himself being a local business owner. Many are against the proposed transfer-tax rebates for homes fitted with solar panels, as well as those that have seen seismic upgrades. Similar measures have failed before, but many in City Hall remain optimistic that the plan will be approved by voters in November — presuming, of course, that it's green lighted by the Board of Supervisors at today's meeting.
· Supes readying tax hikes for November ballot [SF Gate]
· Newsom: SF Homeowners Accountable for Retrofits [Curbed SF]

Peskin and The Gang— here, Supervisor Alioto-Pier— have thrown a cog in the wheel of Gavin's Sunday Streets event during which 4.6 miles' worth of pavement through Bayview and along the Embarcadero will be cordoned off in an effort to get everyone off their lazy asses encourage San Franciscans to meet-and-greet while strolling/ biking/ Segway scootering along the promenade. If the Supes have their way, however, Sunday Streets will be subjected to the Board's whims before it even gets off the ground— and we all know how bureaucracy rolls around these parts. Business folk at Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf have damage with the plan— in this town, it's not a real event unless someone has beef, after all— even though Gavin's jumping through hoops, having already scaled the 4-hour event back from three to two Sundays in August.
· Supervisors Buckle Up to Drive Over 'Sunday Streets' [Rincon Hill Examiner]
· Gav to Shut Down Embarcadero for Pedestrian Invasion [Curbed SF]