Engineers studying the 8 Washington St. project have raised concerns about how construction along the proposed waterfront development could adversely affect a sewer line that carries a quarter of The City’s wastewater. Yet despite such objections, which were raised by project opponents during Tuesday’s meeting of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, that body voted to deal with such concerns at some point in the future, since the project is still in the approval process. Read More

The river otter that took up residence in the Sutro Baths ruins at Ocean Beach appears to have moved on; he has not been seen for weeks. Dubbed Sutro Sam, he was the first river otter spotted in San Francisco in decades. The young male attracted so much attention from sightseers that Golden Gate National Recreation Area officials had to set up signs to remind people to keep away from the wild creature. Read More

In the early 1900s, the building at 888 Brannan St. in South of Market was a factory for what was at the time a high-tech device: batteries. Over the years, it was used by a paper distribution business and a wholesale jewelry mart, which is still housed in a portion of the site. But now the cavernous, window-lined structure that sits next to Interstate 80 will once again house a high-tech tenant: Airbnb, the company that allows people to list and find temporary housing online. Read More

Two decades ago at the Mel’s Drive-In on Geary Boulevard, two doctors began meeting weekly to discuss how empty hospitals could be used on weekends to provide health care for people in need. Eventually, the surgeons sketched out a business plan on a napkin. Since then, Doug Grey and William Schecter’s rough concept has become a solid reality that has provided free surgeries for thousands of people across the Bay Area. Read More

Improving the economy may not earn any politician a trophy, but Mayor Ed Lee, standing on a stage in front of the San Francisco Giants' two World Series awards Wednesday, said it does take teamwork. Lee, speaking at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce's annual CityBeat breakfast, told the crowd that the poll numbers unveiled by the business group Wednesday bear out the results of the hard work that The City and private companies have taken on in the last few years. He also said collaboration between city leaders is important. Read More

A new, 220-room hotel could spring up in South of Market right in the middle of San Francisco’s convention hub. There currently sits an approximately 30-foot-tall building on Fourth Street between Howard and Folsom streets that houses Olivet Theological University. But under a proposal that is scheduled for approval Thursday at the Planning Commission, that low-slung building would be razed to make room for an 11-story, 220-room hotel, according to documents. Read More

New designs for the proposed Warriors arena on the San Francisco waterfront should be completed by the end of April, a team official said. That pushes the project-approval timeline back a few months, but is not expected to affect the projected opening date. The Warriors unveiled a design in October for the Piers 30-32 site, which sits just south of the Bay Bridge on The Embarcadero, that tucked the 17,500-seat arena onto the southeastern side of the pier. But the eastern side of the pier also is one of the only deep-water berths along the San Francisco waterfront. Read More