And i want to tell you that what were seeing right now is not a cycle change. Its a structural change, and i am sure you are aware and seen the retailers and the retailers are shrinking the footprint and it is not the Large Department stores but even tenants that used to be 5,000 feet are shrinking to 1,000 feet and trying to deal with how to market the goods online and cross market both aspects. It has had a very structural change and quite frankly t vacancy rate at union square is the lowest that i have seen in 25 excuse me t highest in 25 years of business in union square. This there is, as we all know, a lot of vacancies that are happening. Barneys is going to close, forever 21 is closing, Williams Sonoma and the multifloor retailers are going out of business and those are the only ones that can occupy the upper floors. They are just not there. We have been marketing 146 geary for four years and talking to tenants initially to take the entire building because that works the best for us. That is what was there. We said somebody take three floors, two floors, one floor, and we havent found a single tenant that we can get to take that building. So were concerned, as i said before, about that space remaining vacant on the upper floors because we want to activate maiden lane and provide more shoppers for the existing retailers and more security and bodies on the street to encourage more customers to come to union square. I would answer any other questions you might have and appreciate your consideration. Okay. Thank you very much. We will take Public Comment on this item. Good evening, planning commissioners. I am karen flood, the executive director of the Union Square BusinessImprovement District and we are here to speak in favor of the project, 146 geary. The project sponsor did come before one of the Board Committees to present the project and it was received very favorably from that committee. As mark mentioned, retail is really changing and of course, union square is a shopping district, but peoples habits are changing and shopping online and the Big Shopping Centers are not coming to union center and there is less, less demand for retail. They are certainly not going to the upper floors. What we would like to see in union square is the spaces are filled whether its office that bring tenants and people that will come and shop in our shops and eat in our restaurants and frequent our businesses. That is what is really most important to us. And as a side note with regard to the chronicle article this morning, with regard to the luxury zone, it is something that the Business Improvement district came up with. It is not sanctioned by the city. We look at union square and within the 30 blocks, there is some different areas. Value retail on powell. More Luxury Retail on grant and geary. And we came up with the full cannabis policy about what are the criteria we evaluate with Cannabis Retailers at union square including security and how responsible the operator is including how much theyre going to sprord the b. I. D. And what we are trying to do down there and that support and whether or not they can contribute positively to the block and to the area and whether they are received by the stakeholders on the block. And if there are multiple residents that are opposed, were going to back those residents. With regard to this, we are strongly in support. We hope it will move forward and not be delayed. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker please. The value of sue hester. The value that is being create bid your motion is going to go to the land ward. And they have to have an obligation to light the streets. Planning Department Staff doesnt pay full attention to this issue, and the plans have to require they honor to maintain lighting permanently. Two speakers before me spoke about the high level of va can sis. Whenever there is a vacancy, the street gets dark because there is no lights coming onto the street from the retail establishment, which is why the obligation cant be put on the retailer establishment and has to be done permanently and looking at a quadrant leader to tell the planners you have to do this. You have to go over the plans for the building. You are creating value for the Building Owner. The Building Owner has to maintain lighting permanently on the street to make it safe, to make it more attractive to rent out the space. We are creating dead zones unintentionally on ground floors. We cant do that. Thats your job. That is a planning commissions job. You have the conditional use before you. You have to add a conditional use exhibit b requirement that there be adequate lighting on the street. And people need to Pay Attention to it at the planning staff level. Really. Im tired of trying to review plans to see what the level of lighting is. Its not good in downtown area. Thank you. Thank you very much, ms. Hester. Any other Public Comment on this item . Hello. Charmin spector, legacy business in downtown San Francisco, as previous owners of 146 geary, i would like to lend support to the the project to have office space on the upper floors. I feel that it would be more beneficial to have more people at least in the area and we have experienced a radical shift in the retail momentum and i do hope that it will swing back, but a lot of that has to do with having people as a Critical Force down there to try to encourage more businesses to come down to downtown and not be so stepped back from it. We really have created a vacuum in the last two years. Its been devastating. And there must be a way with the help of the bid and the help of the landlords to try to make it the Shopping Center and destination that it always has been and deserves to be for our lovely small city. Thank you. Thank you. Any other Public Comment on this item . Hello, commissioners. Richard lee from crushman wakefield. I am a stakeholder in union square. I am a member of the union square b. I. D. Whom you heard from ms. Flood. Mr. Steffen has a strong point and talks about upper floor vacancies and retail users. I actually oversee the property on post street where the former gumps is and i am the owner and gumps december 31, 2018 after filing bankruptcy. After 150 years on post street. That is a long time. So regardless, they vacated and left a large hole in the middle of post street. And that happens to be right next door to the new britex store, so if it were not for the top two floors of being an office building, that building would be completely dark. There is only lights on two floors. Thankfully for the upper floor tenants. Now, if you are walking down post street, you will understand what i mean. Its not that robust. So mr. Steffen brings up a good point. I ament a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and if i can post this up somehow, i will do that. It is a monthly magazine and it talks about retail. I receive this every month. And i am not an expert in retail, but im in it every day. So with that in mind, this is a sample magazine and may not talk about transitions to offices to upper floors to office use, but it really talks about the changing shift of consumer habits. And that was mentioned earlier. And that is why i am here. I am on post street and im fairly active, so i will ask for your support on reconsidering this and you will hear from me for the next one, 220 post as well. Thank you. Thank you. Any other Public Comment on this item . With that, Public Comment is closed. Commissioner richards. Having heard the project sponsor say the cannabis dispensary is not an issue, Cannabis Retail is not an issue, is your office still requesting a continuance . Yes, and we dont mind if its a very brief continuance. I think that we would be fine if it was probably just a week. With all due respect to planning staff to analyze the issue, i did speak to supervisor peskin just outside who said that he was about the concept of a Luxury Retail zone. And that it might help all parties agree if we figure this out and just give it one week for that to take place. Thank you. Im sorry. Move to continue one week. U a second. Commissioner koppel . That was it. Okay. There is nothing further, commissioners. There is a motion to continue to december 12. On that motion, commissioner diamond . Commissioner fung . Aye. A commissioner moore . Aye. Commissioner richards. U a commissioner melgar . That motion passes unanimously 60. That places us on item 26 for 2017014849cua, 220 post street. Initial use authorization. Good evening, president melgar and planning commissioners. Jonathan vimmer, planning staff. The application is a request for a conditional use authorization for the property located at 220 post street. Which is developed with the fivestory over basement commercial building completed in 1907 that is historically been fully occupied by retail sales and service uses. As proposed t project would convert an approximate 18,525 square feet of retail space to floors three through five from retail to General Office use. The department recognizes the change in retail environment, particularly when it comes to Large Department stores and vertically oriented Shopping Centers. The staff fully supports conversion to floor four and five but not at the use of the third level. Such a conversion will result in the majority of the building located in the Downtown RetailZoning District being utilized for office space and set a precedent for like conversions of the numerous similarly scaled buildings within the area. Located downtown and more specifically a block from union square, the department further finds the categories of retail sales and service use remain that could occupy the third floor of the subject property and maintain the role as a retail site with the shopper retails and direct consumer services. The department has received three letters in support of the full proposal and in addition to those included in the sponsors packet or brief with the project sponsor yeah, having gathered additional signatures and letters in support in their submittal. This concludes my presentation. The project sponsor is in attendance and wishes to provide their own. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you. Thank you, jonathan. Hello. Could we kindly get 10 minutes to kind of go through a little bit . Thank you. Representing the project sponsor, so for 220 post, they are requesting conversion of the third, fourth, and fifth floors. Each floor is about 6,175 square feet. The building has a mid block, approximately 50 feet frontage on post. And then the secondary facade facing hampton place. And the building has now been vacant for over three year. We look at multistory buildings and its extremely difficult to find a retailer who is interested in taking a third floor or higher floor in addition to taking the first and second floor. The other option would be to look at leasing it to stand alone and therefore, to a third retailer, but that requires for the building to have excellent access and visibility especially from the pedestrian perspective, which in the case of smaller buildings is a tough ask. So what we dont want to do is we dont want to jeopardize the primary retail facade which in this case is post street, and thus t access to the upper floors has to be off campton place in this case. We are not proposing any changes to the primary street facade and when we look at the maiden street facade and if i could have it on the overhead, here you see the existing versus proposed. The existing is currently a rather solid, noninviting and nontransparent facade. It has been approved already for a more transparent pedestrian parenedly lobby that also provides lob lu that provides access to stair and elevator. However, you could easily convert this into a retail use if you ever were in a situation where the retail was viable again. What you dont see in the images, however s compton place with this block is essentially a narrow alley that is improved with back of house entries and no one is going to wonder off compton place in searchover stand alone upper floor retail. It doesnt have a lot of pedestrian foot traffic or the appeal, and on the overhead again, here are images that show the alley in both directions from 220 post. The likelihood that a Retail Business would want a stand alone third Floor Office Space that is accessible from an alley that provides minimal foot traffic, marginal street visibility and has some Security Issues is in our opinion simply less than minuscule. On the overhead, i want to post one more image which is looking at the alley from grant street and if you see the orange box, that is where the third floor business is. Pretty tough to see. Pretty unvisible. So with all that said, nothing prevents the third floor and the upper floors being turned back into retail if at some future point that becomes viable. Project does not include any physical changes that would preclude that, so i am going to let the project sponsor speak about the actual efforts to lease this building, but before i go, in your packet, you have support letters that collectively include 41 signatures in support of the project including a leter from members of the Street Building at 210 post which includes 33 signatures representing 18 different businesses. I will turn it over to mark. Thank you. 220 post, we have been marketing that building for three years. And we have been talking to tenants both retail, quasiretail, and even Office Subject to a conditional use permit. And we found no taker. We talked to prada, lulu lemon, lewis vuitton, maz ratry, ralph lauren, tesla, and we talked to probably 100 tenants and not anyone that would take the upper floor spaces. And in fact, what we foresee happening is that were going to have to because the second floor cant be converted to office, we have a 50 foot store front and we will have to carve out an entrance for the second level to get up to the second level off post street. And to carve out three entrances on that, none of them will be viable and give enough identity for the amount of space. The floor plates are a little over 6,000 feet. On the third floor t quasiretail are not 6,000 feet useers. At best they are maybe 1,000 and mid block with windows just on the north and south which if we try to break up user, users with no window, no light, no air, and i dont want to rent space to people who dont have light and air. The other thing is i can tell you that we talk about economics, and the rents have on the retail areas in the streets are down probably almost 30 around union square just to signify the structural change and that is on the ground floor i am talking about. We tried. We dont have anybody interested in leasing this building. And i have seen this not just in San Francisco, but in los angeles and new york and miami. Its a global phenomena, really. And appreciate your listening to our concerning and are here to answer any questions. Thank you. We will now take Public Comment. I feel like its the same cast, same call. Very supportive of this project as well for similar reasons as 146. Again, we want to fill the upper floors. And bring people downtown and that will frequent the businesses and bring vibrancy to union square. We are particularly excited about proposing an entrance on compton place and we have been trying to activate that alley for a long time with art and two different grants to put art on the back streets and food and entertainment down there with the possibility of another entrance down there would really contribute to the vitality. Very much in support. Thank you. Next speaker please. Richard lee and this is a different spin. I am actually representing owners on each side of 220 post. Compton alley that is not very pretty. There is no foot traffic and the foot traffic that is there is undesirable. It hasnt gotten better in the last 10 years and actually gotten worse. The proposal is a very transformative proposal that is very welcoming and just look at the signatures. There is quite a few signatures. And back to the project and approach often. And i am on each side. This is awful. And what will happen here . Is anyone coming . Mr. Sfeffen expressed to you there is no takeers. And i dont know what to say because i am not from mr. Steffens office, but all i say is lets cross your fingers and see what happens. And its been about five years since saks fifth avenue for men vacated 220 post and he already explained to you its never been the same. And is another year and talking 2020. And feel like that is my property. Take that and following up what is happening closely and internationally and not just union street. And rates have come down. And information on that and i dont need to see much more. And there is no question about it. And also contributes to the city coffers and occupancy tax and with occupancy, the landlords hopefully can Start Playing the property taxes on time and basically its not just money, but there is foot traffic and lights. And ms. Hester talks about lighting. And he made it and. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Sue hester, i was hoping that he would make me happy by talking about the abundance of lighting in the building. And so he didnt make me happy. 2 the Building Owner by compton street as well as post street. And dark alleys are a problem. And they are unsafe and people dont want to wonder down them. If they feel safe and i am sure you do as well. The Building Owner, not the tenants, has to provide these conditions. And you are giving the value a lot of value when you are declining market and prices for retail and exploding increase in presents for offices. Owners are evaluated by rent entitlement. The owner will have the benefit and should have the obligation in perpetuity for lighting the street and the planers should go over the plans and make sure they are part of the plans and the supervisor should as well. Thank you. Any other Public Comment on this item . This issue with the retail disappearing is going to get worse and worse and seeing formula retail vacating very come innocent spaces and that is a huge sign to me that business is not looking good. Near my office the g. M. C. And a sees candy with huge parking lots literally went out of businesses and vacated the premises and next to a starbucks that also vacated. I respect this is a fivestory building and the recommendation may not be to take over half of the building, but i literally dont see an opportunity for the even three floors to be rented. The 6x6 center literally still completely vacant as far as retail goes, and that is a huge, huge building on fifth and market primetime. I would be in support of giving i never want to take away the first and second stories. I will give you that every single day of the year, but i dont see the places getting rented out by retail. I would be supportive of granting the third, fourth, and fifth story with the other condition of installing the lighting in the rear alley. Commissioner moore. We are just experiments with the perception of the retail square and the office and i would like to keep a balance and i do strongly support the departments analysis that no building should be more than 40 of office at this time at least. We can change that policy if the policy and sitting there and that only candidates like chanel and the highest end stores are being considered to occupy the spaces. I dont think that bodes very well for how we look at more inclusive offering of retail spaces in downtown. So i personally would at this moment be very measured in my support for office. I do believe we have created a strong legislation that is balanced are the objectives. My recommendation stands with the department and i can only support two floors. Again, there are other opportunities to revisit this after a while. We have many buildings which will try the same and plenty of space becoming available and i believe in looking at it in a measured way. Thank you. Commissioner diamond . Could either staff or the project po point explain in more detail why you cant do a retail entrance and why it has to be three individual entrances as opposed to combining them . To make it viable, tenants want their store front identity and is all about identity. The minimum size is 25 feet of width to have the store front and attract customers and for a larger floor plate, they want a larger identity to signify it is a larger space inside. If your idea is to have unelevator up to the second and third, it is not individually branded and most of the tenants want more branding to show off the wares. Beyond that, second floor and we might do an escalator because it is a direct access. And put an elevator to the third floor is longer. Beyond that, it is going to be tough to rent the second floor. We have been trying to lease just the second floor at 146 and 220. We dont have any takers. We tried that. And to speak to ms. Moores comment, we have talked to promotional retailers, to discount retailers. We talked to the real real and they are selling secondary merchandise. And we talked to everyone about this. Were inclusive. Anybody wants to rent, we are happy to went, but the vn identity and not a lot of 6,000 foot tenants. That is the real problem, retail tenants. It is hard to find 6,000 foot tenants on the ground floor, let alone the second. Customers are lazy basically. They dont want to go upstairs. If i could speak to that and there is a misunderstanding that we are requesting we have retail and there are other opportunities for retail services. As long as you are open to the public, that is a permitted use and would not require a conditional use authorization. I did see that in the staff report and cure i dont say about the viability of the compton place entrance for that kind of retail. I think its a through property, and so its i am not sure why they are choosing just to have the compton place entry. That is Property Owners decision. I am not sure what is behind that and what is driving that. I am a little confused. How would you see people getting to the third floor . It is a through lot and extensive work being done on the building. And entry off post street. Thank you. Commissioner richards. I guess when i want of the third floor of hair salons and are destination places because people have the favorite hairdresser or whatever. I think people have the destination places that could be suitable for a third floor and you go and have your color done every month and favorite barber and hair stylist. I think i like the measured approach. Lets go with the upper two floors and see if we get a taker that is not prada or somebody who would probably never want that space and market to, like staff said, something that is open to the public that actually would be needed. I dont know what the concentration of hair salons is and just picking on what is that . There is one hair salon in town now that is about 10,000 feet at 77 main lane. And almost all the rest of them are 2,000 feet and about 6,000 feet is a really large hair salon. So one of the things that we keep telling new project sponsors when they come with New Buildings is you will have to start thinking in smaller increments. The problem with that is that this building is mid block. And it has windows just on the north and south. So divide that into smaller increments, some of the tenants wont have access to light. So you have 3,000 square feet. Which is still larger than most of the useers. I dont want to put somebody in a space where they dont have windows. Commissioner moore. I still see jewelry appraisal, watch repair, and that can be downtown using the spaces and kind of like the third floor retail culture of pedestrian which i would like to keep concentrated in downtown to such time. Commissioner koppel . I have to disagree and this landlord has been trying to rent the space for three years. I dont think its going to fill up. Commissioner richards. When my swiss walk breaks, i go to a building on the ninth floor and half the building seems empty. Mr. Seuss is probably 85. I dont know if there will be a son of mr. Seuss. But i dont see 6,000 square foot spot even though i would like watch repair and i dont see a bazaar where you have little offices because a watch repair and the office is like 100 square feet. It is tiny. So there is kind of an al ba tros. And a good job about the less than minuscule chance for the third floor. I am going to support on this specific property to allow the office use on that third floor. Commissioner koppel, did you want to say anything . Just quick. That is also taking into consideration the third block and to aprooef three and four and five with the condition to taud expeer yor lighting in the back alley. And with the exterior. I wanted to speak to the lighting question. I apologize to ms. Hester for not going over this. This is approved by the Historic Design Commission and on compton place it shows 15 to 20 light fixtures on the soffit and this is a recessed store front and to span that width. And with the plan from that clarification. Is this truly an albatross because of the configuration of the building or is this going to set a precedent for future building . An i currently have probably six additional applications to convert at the third floor to office and they are all generally coworking spaces and i think this is a trend. I think this is a precedent. I think that this i would i am not saying that we should keep everything vacant and there are a lot of different factors that are playing into the vacancies in downtown. And there is a lot that is going on. And the Square Footage that office space demands is much too precious, and that will never go back to retail. So im not quite ready to let go of the third floor retail. I am not convinced. Last year a presentation and before i take that plunge which will waive the way, i need to see hard data accompanied by the price per square foot that is being requested. And what can be supported by different the hair salon and maybe restaurant and there cease so many things that i would need to see some data on. So i am ready to vote on the staff recommendation and approve it on the fourth and fifth floor. However, since we know that there is high demand for coworking space and that it is not just in union square but adjacent chinatown, and i am really worried about doing this lightly without any hard data. So thats where i would fall. We are not making the recommendations lightly. We like to have data to back it up and at that time the data was showing a demand for retail and a matter of getting education out there about what types of retail is permitted. It is not just selling shoes. I would make a plug and to have to revisit that site and to get new updates and the world of coworking space has exploded since she was here. I am interested in that. And i also realize that as commissioner koppel that has spated the world of retail has dramatically changed. It is perhaps not a world where saks fifth avenue took up all six floors. But what is the new world . I am not sure that i understand that. And yet i am not ready to say turn it all into office because we know that we can rent that out. That has profound repercussions for union square and chinatown. A commissioner diamond. I am really sympathetic to the arguments that the project proponent made, but i am really uncomfortable doing this as a one off and this feels like we need study and to apply in it a fair handed way. I did read that report and it may be dated and that different recommendations are in order, but i am really sympathetic to that argument. Commissioner, there is a motion, but did not hear a second. U a didnt you second it . I did. Very good. Shall i call the question . Very good. Commissioners, there is a motion that has been seconded to approve with conditions amending the conversion to allow it on floors three, four, and five. Also requiring back alley exterior lighting. On that motion, commissioner diamond. No. Commissioner fung. No. U a commissioner moore. No. U a commissioner richards. No. Commission president melgar. No. That motion fails 24 with commissions diamond, fung, moore, and melgar voting against. Is there an alternate motion . Commissioner diamond. I would like to make a motion to approve the project as recommended by staff. Second. Very good, commissioners. There is a motion that has been to approve the project with conditions as recommended by staff. Commissioner diamond . Aye. U a commissioner fung . Aye. U a commissioner moore . Aye. Commissioner richards . Aye. Commissioner koppel. No. That motions passes 51 with commissioner koppel voting against. That will place us on item 17 for 2018007267ofa that is an Office Development authorization. Good afternoon, or good evening president melgar and member bs of planning commission. Before you is a request for an office allegation from the Office Development limit authorizing up to 49,999 square feet of General Office use. I would like to submit a revised motion for the for the record and looks like changes to clean up language pertaining to sponsors contact, parking, and the recording of permit a and drawings. I have hard copies on hand and happy to go over the specifics if desired. The project 865 Market Street is at the southeast corner situated within the c3r Zoning District three blocksout of union square with the distinct portion of the larger Westfield Center completed in 1988, this specific portion of it. The proposed project will convert 49,999 of existing retail, accessory office, and miscellaneous space at floors 7 with the entry along the ground floor at fifth street. Exterior work having been done by the Historic Planning Commission due to the location and article 11kearnymarket. Masonsuter conservation district. And this includes replacing bronze sconces with glazed skwonss. It would add class one and two biking and showers and lockers and the amount required by code. While the project is largely limited to the conversion as defined by the planning code, it would rut in an increase in the gross floor area of approximately 7,870 square feet as the property already exceeds the base floor to ratio allowed under peks 2. 10. 2, this will require the purchase of Transferable Development rights. The department has received two letters in support of the project and nonexpressing opposition. The project is on balance consistent with the objectives and policies of the citys general plan and finds the project to be necessary, desirable, and compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. It will create Additional Office space at the top two floors serving to bolster employment and in an area immensely well served by transit, office use is permitted at the upper levels and conversion of the floors to a more viable use will maintain and enhance the remainder of the building as the anchor of the Downtown Retail district. Based on the findings within the case report, they recommend approval with conditions. The project sponsor is here to provide a presentation of their own. Thank you. I am Vice President of development and we are a global operator and developer of flagship destinations t majority of which are retail Shopping Centers much like westfield. And retail is in our d. N. A. And this project is key to a significant investment and the request is an office allocation, but this is not a Typical Office project. As you have heard already, both retail owners and tenants are in the fight for our lives and the growth in online sales and change in Consumer Preferences are forcing us to radically rethink our businesses. What are we doing about it . We are investing in marketing and advertising, customer service, new products and yes, in our real estate assets. Were investing because we have seen and we know when retail tenants and Shopping Center owners invest in their properties, sales and traffic respond. Yes, nordstrom is down sizing and we are seeking to back fill with office, but we spent a better part of two years to find retail and talked to entertainment uses, restaurants, we talked to specialty retailers, local and big box and just about everybody and nobody could make it work. Even using the global reach of our company, we couldnt make it happen. Nowhere in this country is there a shopping sent we are as many floors as westfield San Francisco center. Not in chicago, not in new york. The retail is why they succeed which is why the body amended the planning code to eliminate the need for a cup for the seventh and eighth floors and above. So we believe this investment is good for San Francisco center and mixed use buildings are inherently complementary with the office use supporting the retail and retail an amenity for the office. And we are going to do a full renovation and that includes improved lighting at the street level and the largest nordstrom in the portfolio and will remain one of the largest in the country. Letters of support including one from nordstrom and they couldnt make it br are supportive of this project. We believe they must continue to be the Retail Destination for San Francisco with the approval of the allegation and give us the tools to help make stay that way. I ask for your support to approve the project with staff recommendations. Thank you very much anymore presentations . I am going to try something a little weird here for Public Comment. Do we have supporters and opposition . Do we have any opposition to this project . I am still going to open up for Public Comment. If you would like to show your hands for support, that is fine, too. Anyone else who does want to speak, please come up. Good evening, commissioners. I am jessica low with the San Francisco travel association and here to express our support for the plan to modernize and the Retail Industry and experience is rapidly changing and this project would help westfield stay relevant to retailers, shoppers, visitors and many employee who is support this industry. Last year San Francisco welcomed 25 million visitors who spent 10 in hotel, dining and restaurants and shopping in the Department Stores and boutiques. This generated 770 million in taxes for general funds and we are supportive of this effort to modernize the property and so it can continue to attract visitors, shoppers and world class businesses to support San Franciscos strong and vibrant economy. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker please. Good evening. I am kim and i am with cultivate labs in support of the retail to Office Conversion that is right sizing nordstrom and bringing reinvestment into the center. Cultivate labs is a Community Conscious nonprofit Business Accelerator that is dedicated to promoting Economic Opportunity and developing a vibrant commissioner corridor. There are in proms that cultivate labs and divisions and is targeting the corridor and we work with the ground floor at the westfield and increasing activity and engagement at 814 mission where the location of the current San Francisco filipino cultural senter is that is a special place for the community. And in the mutual interest and that the community has in visiting this neighborhood. The retail environment is as you know changing rapidly and customers are either producing online or looking for specific retail experiences that are unique and can attract people into the area. And so for example, our really successful Night Market Series has attracted 10,000 people yearly with over 75 Small Business owners offering products that speak to our community and our culture. And so in the end of this year in 2019, we have estimated over 300,000 in Economic Activity in some of the area alone. This is an added value to the city and San Francisco sent arenaed working with the westfield on the undiscovered market this sunday to the dome and expect 800 people at this event. This is one example of how we are working together to keep working in the future promote this. Thank you. Next speaker please. Good evening, everyone. Director for the filipino Cultural Heritage district. The mission is to preserve the thriving Filipino Community as well as the community institutions. I want to acknowledge the letter provided by westfield to work with the community as a Cultural Center serving the Filipino Community. We are hopeful to preserve the space as this overall effort to increase the visibility of the community as an integral part of the neighborhood with the community regionally and is an important asset and practice and place for the reservation and the growing inequality pricing our community out of the city. To now this is a job center for many in the Service Retail and working with cultivate labs to promote Mission Street for Small Businesses and community institutions. We look forward to strengthening our commitment and the Cultural Assets and support Economic Development for Small Businesses. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker please. Good evening, commissioners. I have some letters from the Construction Trade council. And a longstanding relationship with westfield and the mall and the ongoing operation and turn around. And ultimately the work that is being proposed here. Here are the letters. This is mee neighbor. I dont object this this as all. You are part of the community in westfield and a low Income Community and Filipino Community that is right there. I am glad they are speaking for you and have a relationship already. Who you buy the t. D. R. S from is important. I am suspected from lower xhk communities. And if you havent already bought them, do not go to an easy thing but go to a difficult thing where people might need the money. And that ended i have no concern about lighting. They are going to be lit. I am very familiar with the site. Thank you very much. District six supporters and Office Development authorization. Thank you. U a next speaker please. Good evening. I promise i will leave after this. I will speak on behalf of the union square bid and with the longterm relationship with westfield and i know mr. Kitchen and i havent seen you for a while. And that is another topic to discuss. And all i can say is i would ask for your support. Changing times. Thank you. Thank you. Any other Public Comment on this item . With that Public Comment is closed. Public comment is close. There is no additional tdrs to be bought because the building is not changing the height. It is using to convert the upper part and it is well done. And with this historic project on the 50 post Street Building as well and that is another topic. Trying to get that in there. And overall i am pleased that the project has Large Community support not just like a Shopping Center, but a living and engaged project that addresses the entire project support. I am support of the project and move to approve. Second. A commissioner richards lets vote. There is a motion seconded to approve with questions. Could i procure the t. D. R. . A small bit of new floor area and for that they will have t. D. R. , but they are essentially is because some of the spaces that were considered exempt from floor area are becoming gross floor area because of that torturous definition of gross floor area. Voting aye. Commissioner fung. Aye. U a commissioner moore. An aye. A commissioner richards. An aye. Commissioner koppel. Aye. Commissioner president melgar. That passes 60. Commissioners, before we move on to your discretionary review calendar, i am pleased to i an announce that item 20 for 2517 pacific avenue, the d. R. S have been withdrawn that. Will place us on your final item as items 18a and 18b have been continued. Item 19, case 201901302drp, discretionary. The item is a discretionary review and Building Application which proposes to change the use of an existing market and liquor store to a Cannabis Retail establishment. On site consumption is not proposed at 50 o jones street. Z it may be add tos future if not and sro units on the upper six floors and that Corner Market and liquor store existing in the subject tenant space and restaurant in an adjacent ground floor tenant space. It is in the rc4 and 80t and 130t height and bulk districts. And the existing building is an a rated Historic Resource listed a z a contributor to a National Register historic district. They received seven letters and since packet publication with six letters and 99 petition signatures in support of the application. The d. R. Requester was to pro cure in opposition, but none have been obtained. And support for introducing a regulated Cannabis Market into the neighborhood for persons who rely on it for medical reasons and including support for those recovering from addiction and reference the work the project sponsor has done to ensure the business is a vital and supportive use to the surrounding neighborhood. And in particular, providing a letter of support expressing excitement to work with the proposed Cannabis Retailer to fund programming to provide free consultings and sheltered low xhk participants with medical cannabis as a support for a pathway off harmful drugs and providing candidates to the population targeted to the specific needs. Among those who oppose the application, three principle concerns have been provided. The first concern is that the surrounding neighborhood is oversaturated with drug sales and this is an, thus, undesirable to add a Cannabis Store front. And they recognize the struggle thar many san franciscans are experiencing with drug addiction, particularly in the tenderloin, the particular issue is with heroin and methamphetamine, not cannabis. Prohibiting a regulated market from establishing in the district only ensures that the black market sales will continue without competition from the