San Francisco's Problems Just Got a Whole Lot Worse, Downtown Mall Operator Defaults, Cites Worsening Conditions in the City

San Francisco’s downtown district is facing yet another setback as Westfield and Brookfield Properties, the prominent real estate developers, have decided to halt payment on a substantial $558 million loan for the city’s largest shopping mall.

The challenging operating conditions in the area have compelled them to take this difficult step, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Westfield, with over two decades of successful operations at the San Francisco Center, expressed pride in its significant investments in the property’s vitality.

However, declining sales, occupancy, and foot traffic have forced the company to initiate the process of transferring management of the shopping center to the lender.

San Francisco’s tourism board launched a $6M ad campaign to overcome the city’s global reputation as a drug and crime-ridden hell hole. Six days later, the owner of two of the city’s biggest hotels announced it was abandoning them because it lost faith that the city can recover. pic.twitter.com/uaZRXWpD3R

— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) June 6, 2023

The lender will then appoint a receiver to oversee the property going forward, Westfield stated, acknowledging the tough decision at hand.

The mall, located at 865 Market St, has multiple lenders associated with its commercial mortgage-backed securities, although their identities remain undisclosed.

The receiver’s role will determine the mall’s future, but it is typical for the property to continue operations during a retail foreclosure.

Will San Francisco recover in the near term?

This development follows Nordstrom’s recent announcement that it will not be renewing its lease for the 312,000 square feet it occupies in the mall.

After nearly four decades of operation, Nordstrom’s departure will leave the mall with only 55% occupancy, well below the average of 93% seen in other Westfield malls across the country.

Jamie Nordstrom, the chief stores officer, conveyed in a letter to employees obtained by Bloomberg that the decline in sales leading to the closure is due to decreased foot traffic.

He added that the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have undergone significant changes in recent years. While Nordstrom didn’t explicitly mention it, it is reasonable to suspect that the rising crime rates played a part in the decision.

Westfield has recently attributed Nordstrom’s departure to “unsafe conditions” and a “lack of enforcement against rampant criminal activity” in the downtown area.

This is San Francisco’s crime issue as well…

Going to go out on a limb and say that there is a direct correlation between the video above and the video below.

Don’t San Francisco my America. pic.twitter.com/8UefOupcA3

— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) June 8, 2023

The company emphasized that the poor performance of the mall and the crime-ridden surroundings are exceptions compared to its other properties nationwide.

This sequence of events involving Westfield and Nordstrom occurs just one week after Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. stopped making payments on a $725 million CMBS loan secured by two of its San Francisco hotels.

Park Hotels also cited crime in the downtown area and highlighted the major challenges obstructing San Francisco’s recovery.

Over the past few months, numerous retailers, including Whole Foods and T-Mobile, have shut their doors due to the failure of progressive city leadership to uphold law and order.

San Francisco’s commercial real estate market meltdown appears to be accelerating, with major hotels and malls now facing foreclosure, potentially impeding any chance of an economic rebound.

Furthermore, the city is grappling with a tech downturn and a regional banking crisis that resulted in the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank.

The office sector of the commercial real estate market is also struggling, witnessing high vacancy rates as companies like Salesforce Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. reduce their office space.

3 months ago this dude nearly killed a former San Francisco Fire Commissioner.
Restorative Justice ensures he is back on the street to terrorize your community.

pic.twitter.com/NVWkV8l4RX

— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) June 12, 2023

The departure of companies and the ongoing CRE crisis prompted Mayor London Breed to reverse course and allocate funding for the police force after years of supporting the defunding movement.

This reversal reflects the acknowledgment of the need for improved security and public safety in San Francisco.

It is disheartening to witness the decline of a once-thriving city into what can only be described as a deteriorating state.

The consequences of misguided policies and the failure to prioritize law and order have taken their toll on San Francisco, leaving us to witness the impending implosion of a once-great city.

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