I was referring to the Facebook effect.

Many tech start ups in SF have something to do with Facebook, one way or the other.

re: office space being expensive as the reason companies don't choose to locate in SF: the area around Sand Hill Rd. and 280 is the most expensive office real estate in the country, at least since last year when I read a market report about that. There are many other reasons companies choose sillyvalley- I think a lot has to do with what some would call extortion through payroll taxes to fund the SF supervisors pet projects. But with the SF population becoming older and more moderate, I have hope that saner politicians will soon run this city and won't scare away so many large businesses.

Why are you focusing on Facebook and Twitter period? Many SF tech start-ups are involved with LinkedIn, Google, SalesForce.com, etc... Web 2.0 is much more than just one or two companies. And look at their balance sheets, this is much different than Pets.com in the late 90s. And you just flat out ignored Fflints post.

Maybe you're right. Hopefully the lesson has been learned.

And flint is on my ignore list, what did she say?

^Just keep these notes in mind:

1. Google alone added more employees in 2012 than Facebook had total at the end of 2012. They did the same in 2011. And 2010. And 2009. And 2008.

2. Amazon, mostly through subsidiaries, has more Bay Area employees than Facebook. Microsoft has more than twice as many, with about 1000 employees in SF alone (some through Yammer).

Facebook gets a lot of press because it's something that every consumer understands and most use, but it's really a mistake to focus on them too much when talking about employment trends.

How many of those jobs are in SF though?

Most of those employees work in Santa Clara county. If that is where more of the demand is for these types of companies, then that isn't going to increase any demand in downtown SF. Microsoft could add 100,000 employees in Santa Clara, and the vacant office market in SF would remain the same. It does, however, create stronger demand for the *housing* market in SF, since many of those employees choose to live in the city. Housing demand creates more demand for construction jobs, which could create an increase in demand in general contractors needing bigger office space and more employees. Many general contractors that build and renovate single family homes don't operate in class A office towers, however. And added residents creates more demand for retail space, restaurants, entertainment. But, again, class A office space is dependent on professional, high skilled corporations locating in downtown office centers.

I actually don't have much doubt that this will be built, and it is very encouraging that the developers want to steamroll the process. I was just point out some hypotheticals I've seen put forth by some investors worried about the possible bubble and I hope it doesn't happen.

Combine those two clauses and you have the real reason. In short, it's a network effect. Everyone wants to be where the hub is. New York for finance/fashion, LA for entertainment, etc.

Breathtaking views...


http://gossipy.co/sportsnews/new-gol...re-pretty-neat


http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_as...s-Boards-2.jpg



http://urbaninitiativ3.com/updated-r...-new-sf-arena/

http://urbaninitiativ3.com/wp-conten...3_SFarena0.jpg



http://urbaninitiativ3.com/wp-conten...1-1024x536.jpg



http://urbaninitiativ3.com/wp-conten..._SFarena31.jpg



http://urbaninitiativ3.com/wp-conten...1-1024x512.jpg



http://urbaninitiativ3.com/wp-conten..._SFarena11.jpg



http://urbaninitiativ3.com/wp-conten...3_SFarena2.jpg

Man, that sure is a tall tower. Should be visible from just about anywhere you can see downtown.

something fishy about those photos
 

I'm wondering if these photos distort the height of the tower. They certainly distort the location. In the shot with the people on the lawn in front of the Warriors arena, the Transbay Tower is BEHIND the 50 Fremont building. WTF?

Lol, it looks like it's behind 555 California. If that was the case then the lawn render would be showing a 1600' plus tower. Also does not line up with the street grid at all. The rest really do seem to be descent enough renders, although it's pretty quickly apparent that everything is cgi, no photoshop here. Even the bay bridge, which nonsubtly fades into a solid gray bar from the truss is an illustration.

I have to agree. The renderings appear to be very distorted. Within NYguy's first posted photo of this page, the tower to the right appears to be Millennium Tower which is 645 ft tall. From there just make the comparison.

They are renderings highlighting the warriors arena with the TBT tacked on in cheesy photoshop, don't take height and size to be accurate at all...

I drive by the dirt pit nearly every day, I wish they'd hurry up and pick a start date that is less vague (and earlier) than Q4 2013/Q1 2014.

It's like those old cartoons in the newspapers where you had to pick out the mistakes in the drawings. How about the night reflections of the towers in the bay?

But on a more serious note. The one thing I think C. Pelli has done better with is the skin. Has there been much discussion on this?

Pelli's skin and the Gran Torre Santiago
 

regarding the skin on the Transbay Tower, we may get an inkling by looking at his very similar design for the Gran Torre Santiago (formerly known as Torre Costanera) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Torre_Santiago), which is nearing completion and is just shy of 1000 feet high. I saw it last year when it was still in the framework stage and it certainly sticks out from its surroundings, unlike Transbay, which will have lots of tall neighbors. Anyway, it will be the tallest building in South America for awhile.

Well now I'm kinda depressed.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/esckudero/6186894401/

I don't see any real similarity between the skin of the Santiago tower--either in the renderings or in reality--and that in the renderings of Transbay.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8...ee718b08_b.jpg
alobos Life at flickr

http://www.socketsite.com/101%201st%...er%20Crown.jpg
www.socketsite.com
http://www.socketsite.com/101%201st%...0Rendering.jpg
www.socketsite.com
http://www.socketsite.com/101%201st%...%20Closeup.jpg
www.socketsite.com

That's definitely true...while I agree that the final Transbay design is less striking that it probably could've been, Pelli is known for taking a building from decent to extraordinary with the facade treatment. Look at the Petronas Towers in KL. I almost find those towers more dazzling up close than far away. The jury's still out on the Transbay Tower, as far as I'm concerned.

The slits in the top look weird.. otherwise this building will drastically change the skyline... If that 915 foot tower gets built too (not sure if that's still alive) SF. will look completely different.

I love this building it realy makes San Francisco an even better looking city

I think the skin (at least thus far in renderings) looks alot like what Pelli started to explore at the base of 2IFC, which is a fantastic building up close, but kind of unassuming and blah from a distance. Sort of the opposite of the Pyramid I suppose.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...IFC/IFC003.jpg

Let's hope that this facade has more depth than 2IFC.