Event details:
$65 members and guests
$55 public sector members (must pay via Zelle to receive discount)
Downtowns across the country are seizing on residential conversions to remedy office vacancy and lack of activity resulting from the rise of remote work. Are conversions in Downtown San Francisco sufficiently attractive – physically and financially – to property owners and developers to merit investment? Can recent legislation designed to enhance the appeal of conversion build momentum? What else needs to happen to strengthen Downtown San Francisco? Panelists representing the development, architecture, and policy making communities will discuss the economic and physical prospects of office to residential conversion in San Francisco, and opportunities to fuel activity and investment Downtown.
Sujata Srivastava, SPUR
As the San Francisco Director for SPUR, Sujata works with stakeholders and community members to implement policies that will advance equity, sustainability, and prosperity in San Francisco. She is currently leading SPUR’s policy research and advocacy for San Francisco’s downtown revitalization, as well as improving housing affordability and sustainable transportation choices in the city. Sujata has over 20 years of experience directing research and policy analysis for cities and regions across the United States and in Latin America. Before joining SPUR, she was a principal at Strategic Economics, a Berkeley-based urban economics consulting firm. Sujata holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from the University of California at Berkeley and a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College.
Jack Sylvan, SDG LLC
Jack is founder and principal of SDG, LLC, a San Francisco-based development company delivering exceptional value to investors, partners and clients on complex and innovative mixed-use development opportunities. Prior to forming SDG, Jack served as Senior Vice President of Development for Forest City Realty Trust and Brookfield Properties, and spent eight years in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office overseeing large public-private real estate development projects. Early in his career, he spent time with CB Richard Ellis/Sedway Group providing real estate consulting and financial analysis to private and public clients. Jack currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Fisher Center for Real Estate at UC Berkeley and the Board of Directors of SPUR. He holds a Masters in Urban Planning from the University of California at Berkeley and a dual Bachelor of Arts and Sciences from the University of California at Davis, where he also played on the men’s basketball team.
Eric Tao, L37
Eric brings more than 20-years of leadership experience in the real estate industry managing over $1 billion in new developments including 2,000 multifamily units and mixed-use assets in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a founding principal at Avant Group (AGI) he managed multifamily development investments for two CalPERS funds and several smaller family offices. Eric is a graduate of Pomona College in Claremont, CA and received his Juris Doctorate from UC Hastings College of Law. He currently is serving as the Chair of the San Francisco ULI District Council and on the Board of SPUR.
Ben Tranel, Gensler
Ben Tranel is an architect focused on the transformational power of design. As a Principal with Gensler, over his last 17 years in the San Francisco office, he has grown the firm’s practice, refined its working methods, and strengthened relationships locally and abroad. Notable projects include his work on the 632-meter Shanghai Tower, the Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, Burlingame Point development, and 200 Park in San Jose. Ben is a graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, and he resides with his family in San Francisco.