[Photo Credit: Karmannghia]
The Japantown story continues, and we suspect it's far from over.
The Examiner revealed yesterday that the new owners of much of Japantown will likely be 3D Investments LLC , a low-profile, primarily commercial landlord with properties in the Los Angeles area and Hawaii. We say low profile because much of their properties appear to be just that: visually anonymous urban infill in areas like the Miracle Mile and the Valley. And while the Examiner describes 3D as a "developer" they seem to be more of a conservative buy-and-hold commercial landlord.
The current owners, Kintetsu, have tried to reassure the Japantown community that any new owners would promise to maintain the Japanese character and cultural values. From the looks of various 3D properties online, Japantown may be frozen in time for another forty years. Painted, maintained and fully leased, but unchanged. It also appears that this is 3D's first San Francisco investment.
One can only wonder if 3D is ready to be landlords here. As for "developers" we seriously doubt that Herzog & de Meuron are going to be re-imagining pagodas on Geary Boulevard any time soon.
· LA Developer is Frontrunner [SF Examiner]