Historic SF Business May Shut Down Due to Crime
A Luxury Retailer in San Francisco Warns of Possible Closure
“Today, as we prepare for our 166th holiday season at 250 Post Street, we fear this may be our last because of the profound erosion of the city’s current conditions,” wrote John Chachas, chairman of the department store Gump’s San Francisco.
Gump’s took out a full page ad in the Sunday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle to express their concerns about the “destructive San Francisco strategies” implemented by California governor Gavin Newsom (D.), San Francisco mayor London Breed (D.), and the city’s Board of Supervisors.
Among the issues highlighted in the ad were the city’s COVID-19 policies that discouraged office work, the decision to allow homeless people to camp on the streets and openly use and distribute hard drugs, and the harassment faced by members of the public.
“Such abject disregard for civilized conduct,” wrote Chachas, “makes San Francisco unlivable for its residents, unsafe for our employees, and unwelcoming to visitors from around the world.”
Businesses Closing and Corporate Exodus
- Last month, the 127-year-old Anchor Brewing Company, the first craft brewery in the country, shut down.
- Other businesses, including historic ones, have also closed their doors recently, citing crime and homelessness.
- In May, Old Navy announced the closure of its flagship store, and Nordstrom has also shut down stores, resulting in a loss of nearly 380 jobs in the city.
- Crime has forced companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Salesforce to abandon their office space.
As a result, nearly one-third of the city’s office space sits empty, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Rising Crime and its Impact
- Homicides in the city increased about 40 percent from 2020 to 2022.
- Fentanyl deaths have skyrocketed, contributing to the crime wave.
- The Biden administration recently instructed employees at the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building to work from home due to crime in the area.
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