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Hearing on Union Square: city presents recovery plan after Macy’s announcement; supervisors press for concrete Powell Street plan
Summary
Supervisors and city staff heard data on Union Square’s lagging retail recovery after Macy’s flagged its flagship, discussed safety and activation efforts, reviewed zoning/funding tools and heard unions call for worker protections; the committee continued the hearing to the call of the chair for follow-up on Powell Street design and funding allocations.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee held a broad hearing on May 13 about the future of Union Square and the local impacts of Macy’s nationwide store reductions. Sponsor Supervisor Asha Safai described Union Square as one of the city’s “three crown jewels” and said Macy’s late‑February announcement was a “gut punch” to downtown retail.
City staff framed a mix of short‑ and long‑term strategies. Sarah Dennis Phillips and Jacob Bintliff of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development said work focuses on three pillars: clean-and-safe operations (increased SFPD patrols, Safe Shopper initiative), programming and activations (pop‑ups, Winter Walk, Tulip Day and an SF Live concert series) and regulatory/zoning tools. Bintliff…
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