Union Sq. in San Francisco’s downtown has seen higher days — and even higher years. With large companies packing up and leaving, the favored public plaza is redefining its id.
The context
Based on reporting from the Los Angeles Occasions:
- Practically 30 shops closed within the downtown space for the reason that pandemic and 7 extra are on faucet to shutter.
- A dip in client purchases, provide chain points and hefty operation prices together with public security are some components behind the 6% emptiness charge uptick within the metropolis within the first quarter of the yr. Final yr the determine was at 5.2%, described because the “highest within the metropolis” since 2006.
- There are about 300,000 fewer individuals in downtown compared to 2019 and homelessness has impacted foot site visitors.
- “It’s a really significant issue for the entire metropolis, a lot much less downtown,” stated Bay Space Council Financial Institute Government Director Jeff Bellisario within the article.
The response
LA Occasions reported that San Francisco Mayor London Breed “pushed again in opposition to the narrative” that Union Sq. is in bother.
Breed stated within the article that the media will not be speaking concerning the shops that moved in.
“These of us who don’t stroll the streets in San Francisco, that don’t stay in San Francisco, however they wish to write about and commentate about San Francisco, I problem you to come back to this metropolis and see what it appears like,” Breed stated at a Might information convention. “I problem you to come back store on the shops that you simply’re complaining about, which you most likely by no means even stepped foot within the first place.”
Breed acknowledged in an ABC 7 article the necessity to beef up extra police presence to attract extra enterprise within the metropolis and foot site visitors. She added that involved residents are “going to see a distinction” with proposed updates to town.
Why it issues: Breed stated that shops like Ikea and Banana Republic are shifting into Union Sq. – however nobody is masking that.
Marisa Rodriguez, Union Sq. Alliance CEO, stated within the article that whereas some shops left, luxurious retailers are right here to remain.
“The center of the sq. is thrashing sturdy — it’s alive,” she instructed the LA Occasions. “There definitely have been challenges postpandemic that loads of main cities have been experiencing. We try to place ourselves to satisfy the second and pivot the place we are able to.”
Breed echoed her sentiments and introduced a $6 million funding for 3 blocks close to Union Sq. the place shops closed like H&M, Uniqlo and Hole closed.
San Francisco’s metropolis officers are positioning their metropolis’s business space as unbeatable and undeterred. Whereas Union Sq. confronted (and nonetheless is dealing with) struggles and retailer closures, its reps are reminding others that there’s extra to come back and to disregard the haters.
Regardless of unfavourable press surrounding a model, proceed to remind others concerning the realities of the scenario – discover and amplify optimistic information.
Enhance up your model and proceed shouting from the mountaintops about its resiliency, however don’t lean towards being delusional both. Strike the fitting steadiness of positivity and talk that onerous reality to others.
Rodriguez acknowledged the problems at hand however didn’t solely dwell on them both.
In case you dig deep, there are all the time nice tales to inform. Deal with discovering the optimistic and galvanizing tales of comebacks and other people triumphing over adversity. As a result of who doesn’t love an underdog?
Prime Headlines:
- From Amazon and Kleenex to Cheerios and Dove – the Morning Seek the advice of ranked the ten Most Trusted Manufacturers in america with some acquainted names among the many prime winners. The manufacturers are ranked on corporations that folks belief would “do the fitting factor.” Others who made the listing embody Band-Help, Lysol, UPS, Amazon, Kleenex, Cheerios and Dove.
- Air New Zealand desires to see how a lot you weigh earlier than stepping on their airplane. New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority must understand how a lot passengers weigh for its worldwide flights as a part of a security measure to make sure weight distribution is suitable for a survey. Program officers are guaranteeing passengers know that their weight won’t be disclosed to anybody. Their data shall be straight despatched to the load survey and received’t be seen whereas on the size. The Aviation Authority emphasised desirous to defend prospects from any potential embarrassment by having their weight hidden from anybody, which confirmed care and concern on their half.
Sherri Kolade is a author at Ragan Communications. When she will not be together with her household, she enjoys watching Alfred Hitchcock-style movies, studying and constructing an authentically curated life that features greater than sometimes discovering one thing deliciously fried. Observe her on LinkedIn. Have an excellent PR story thought? E mail her at sherrik@ragan.com.
