New Retail Space Faces Challenges in San Francisco

A developer who hopes to put a new shopping center on a stretch of Market Street will face challenges from local groups who take issue with the accompanying parking structure and modern design.

1 minute read

December 8, 2009, 1:00 PM PST

By Alek Miller


"Developer David Rhoades has a plan for a modern, glassy retail center with stores like Toys R Us, outlets like Off 5th and perhaps a Target to replace three vacant buildings along the south side of Market between Fifth and Sixth streets.

Rhoades and others see his CityPlace project as a catalyst that would improve the mid-Market area, now largely the province of smoke shops, street characters and shuttered storefronts."

"Gabriel Metcalf, executive director of the SPUR think tank, said it's possible to balance traffic congestion and economic revitalization.

'Market Street has to be protected as the primary transit and bike street of the whole city. It's really important to get that right,' Metcalf said. 'It's also a big deal for the city to figure out how to revitalize that stretch of Market, so this is a problem worth solving.'"

Monday, December 7, 2009 in San Francisco Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Entrance to subterranean Hollywood/Vine Metro station in Los Angeles, California surrounded by tall apartment buildings.

Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access

A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.

4 seconds ago - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Yellow roadside sign with extreme heat warning: "Danger - Extreme Conditions! - STOP - Do not hike Jun-Sep - HEAT KILLS"

Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills

Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.

1 hour ago - Nevada Current

View of downtown Pittsburgh, PA with river and bridge in foreground at dusk.

Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units

Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.

1 hour ago - Axios