After last month's proposed moratorium on institutional use of buildings in Western SoMa, the real estate barons at the Academy of Art University are trying to reach a compromise. According to critics, their plan is, of course, "unworkable." The gist: the Academy want to expand their sculpture studios into "the barn," the area where small wholesale merchants are currently located. These business owners, in turn, get pushed into space currently occupied by the single largest tenant in the building, Patrick McCann. It gets better: Mr. McCann happens to have submitted a competing bid for the property way back when, and understandably has serious concerns about the Academy's plan — not only because he'll have to give up his space, but also because he fears the plan will dilute the innate Flower Mart-ness of the Flower Mart. Oh, and by the way: he just heard about this when contacted why by the Chronicle. He's not the only one in the dark. Several tenants who might be able to stay have already started moving out due to the eviction notice issued last month. Hey Academy of Art University? You might want to think about working on a little something we like to call "communication skills". It's really the only way to make a relationship work.
· Reprieve for Flower Mart tenants [SF Gate]
· Peskin Implores Academy of Art University to "Abandon Wrongheaded Deal [Curbed SF]
· Academy of Art University to Purchase Flower Mart Over Merchants' Dead Bodies [Curbed SF]
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