Potential SF Vanderbilt Campus Could Occupy the Chronicle Building, According to the Chronicle

"That sprawling 5M site also includes the famed Chronicle headquarters building. Now these two seemingly unrelated stories may be converging. Today's Chronicle reports that Vanderbilt is considering the 5M site for their possible satellite campus, which if used, would probably occupy the Chronicle building with some or all of that campus. Specifically, the Chronicle reports that Vanderbilt officials are evaluating the area around Fifth and Mission streets, an area "including the Chronicle's historic headquarters building at 901 Mission Street.""

"The Chronicle adds that Vanderbilt has had discussions with SF business leaders in recent months. Wait, is the Chronicle just hyping their own real estate property here in hopes of applying pressure to a top bidder? One cannot dismiss that the Chronicle's parent company Hearst Corporation is also deeply involved in the real estate industry, and is not just a news-gathering organization."

"Meanwhile, it's no secret that the 5M property has had trouble finding interested tenants, much like any commercial landlord in SF since the pandemic. But it can be independently confirmed that the 5M site is considered among SF's most prime candidate properties for a university conversion. That was the finding of the SF Chamber of Commerce, who commissioned a study on the most ideal spot"

Vanderbilt University is reportedly considering building a San Francisco satellite campus, with evaluation focused on the 5M development at Fifth and Mission. The 5M site includes the historic Chronicle headquarters at 901 Mission Street, which the university might occupy wholly or partially. Hearst Corporation, the Chronicle's parent, has significant real estate interests, raising questions about potential promotion of the property. The 5M project has struggled to attract tenants since the pandemic, but the site remains a leading candidate for university conversion. The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce commissioned a study identifying ideal locations for university campuses that included the 5M site.

Read at sfist.com