17 Creating the San Francisco of the Future by David Harrison, BOMA SF Manager of Government and Public Affairs
The last year challenged our industry, and BOMA’s members have stepped up to the plate. Our members have remained steadfast in our commitment to our tenants, employees and the public. The vast majority of buildings have never closed, and property owners and managers have continued operations during uncertain times to maintain safe buildings and assure the continuance of essential services. The light at the end of the tunnel is now getting brighter, and we must turn our focus to downtown San Francisco’s recovery. As the City progresses towards “normalcy,” engagement from BOMA and our members is more important than ever. City leaders are facing many make-or-break decisions that will shape the future of our city. BOMA is working hard to strengthen relationships with city officials and provide pertinent political and policy analysis, ensuring that our members have a seat at the table when these decisions are being made. Below is a roundup of issues we are watching.
Public Health As we adjust to a new normal with vaccines, we also recognize the unknowns presented by the virus. We have learned that people must not only be safe within our buildings, but feel safe too. BOMA is closely tracking public health guidelines and legislation such as mandatory sanitation practices and interim ventilation practices to ensure that any requirements enforced for public health purposes aren’t accompanied by cumbersome economic and environmental burdens on buildings’ owners, management and tenants. Although we’ll continue promoting safety, we must ensure that any requirements effectively advance public health priorities and that the cost of such requirements don’t outweigh the benefits.
Street Conditions San Francisco is a city that leads with compassion, but a robust downtown recovery requires that building management and tenants feel safe going back to work. BOMA is working to support practical, sustainable solutions that address crime, safety and homelessness with both compassion and accountability.
Transportation The ability and willingness to commute will be a top factor that determines the future of downtown. BOMA is advocating for sensible policies that expand our goals of clean, reliable and safe public transit while advocating against proposals such as the SFCTA’s (San Francisco County Transportation Authority) congestion pricing plan that would disincentivize business downtown.
Maintaining a Workable Business Climate We know that our members aren’t opposed to paying their fair share. The commercial real industry
in San Francisco has done that and then some! BOMA SF is making the case that for San Francisco to recover, the costs of doing business in this City cannot increase any higher than they already are. We’re also pushing the City to partner with the business community to keep companies that may be reducing their footprint in the City. Stay tuned for more government affairs updates, and feel free to reach David Harrison, Manager of Government and Public Affairs, at davidh@boma.com.
