Last holiday season, many San Francisco residents were convinced they’d seen the last Christmas celebration outside the iconic Union Square Macy’s. Now, the company has announced there has been a change of plans.
Union Square and its longtime anchor Macy’s are prepping for revelers and shoppers.
“I’m really excited. I really like seeing the tree in Union Square and all of the reefs in the windows,” said Emily Garcia, a San Francisco resident. “It’s really fun and it’s like a staple to my Christmas experience in the city.”
It’s essentially a holiday tradition at this point, but last year, it looked like that tradition was about to come to an end.
The Union Square store was on the company’s list of underperforming locations and had been designated for closure within three years – but all that changed.
“Macy’s is staying. It’s wonderful news. And they’ve also announced that they’re looking into developing the site into housing,” said District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter. “And I think it’s the perfect model for Union Square and for downtown.”
According to Macy’s, the company is partnering with San Francisco-based real estate firm TMG Partners.
The company says the partnership will assess the massive property and explore other uses, including the possibility of housing.
Sauter acknowledges there would be some significant challenges to transform retail space into housing, but city leaders are working on incentives to make it easier.
“Why can’t this be called home too. It should be,” said Marisa Rodriguez with the Union Square Alliance. “And actually, if we had more residents during the pandemic, it may have been a very different comeback story. It could have been easier.”
Rodriguez says she’s happy Macy’s is staying and is also celebrating the return of other retailers to the once legendary shopping district.
Details about any redevelopment plans for the Macy’s Union Square property have not been released, but the company says details should be released over the next several months.
Source: NBC Bay Area