This Week's Top Stories

WNBA

Valkyries Bring the WNBA Finals to Mission Bay — and a Crowd-Control Challenge

The Golden State Valkyries host the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center in Games 1 and 2 of the 2026 WNBA Finals this week, their first-ever championship appearance in just their second season.

Mission Bay's Chase Center becomes the center of the WNBA universe this week as the Golden State Valkyries host Games 1 and 2 of the 2026 WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream. Game 1 tips off Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT on NBC, with Game 2 set for Monday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. The Valkyries reached the Finals after sweeping the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces 3–0 in the semifinals, earning the franchise its first Finals appearance in only its second season.

office market

SoMa Leads City in Office Absorption as AI Firms Swap Starter Suites for Full Buildings

Three of Q3's six largest office leases in San Francisco landed in South of Market, where AI and tech companies including Brex and Cognition are trading compact starter offices for vastly larger spaces — raising a new question about who fills the suites they leave behind.

South of Market outpaced every other San Francisco submarket in Q3 office absorption, according to CBRE's third-quarter 2026 San Francisco office report released this week. Three of the quarter's six leases of 100,000 square feet or more landed in SoMa, absorbing a total of 484,000 square feet as tech tenants filled furnished, Class A blocks vacated earlier in the pandemic cycle. The defining illustration of the trend is the paired story of Brex and Cognition.

Caltrain

Prologis Kicks Off Environmental Review for Massive Caltrain Railyards Redevelopment at 4th and King

The San Francisco Planning Department held a public scoping meeting on October 14 to launch the environmental review process for a proposed 18.6-acre mixed-use development around the Caltrain station at 700 4th Street in SoMa — one of the largest single projects ever proposed in the city.

San Francisco's Planning Department convened a public meeting on October 14 to formally begin the CEQA environmental review process for the Caltrain Railyards redevelopment at approximately 700 4th Street in SoMa. The meeting marked the issuance of a Notice of Preparation for the Draft Environmental Impact Report, giving the public a formal opportunity to submit comments that will shape the scope of the analysis.

Upcoming Events

Friday, October 16

Mission Rock Free Friday Night Movie: 'Ratatouille'

📍 China Basin Park (Great Lawn), Mission Bay · 6:30 PM · Verify · Funcheap SF

Saturday, October 17

WNBA Finals Game 1: Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream

📍 Chase Center, 1 Warriors Way, Mission Bay · 12:30 PM · Verify · Chase Center

Saturday, October 17

Bay Area Science Festival — UCSF Mission Bay

📍 Koret Quad, UCSF Mission Bay Campus, 600 16th St. · 11:00 AM–4:00 PM · Verify · Hoodline

Saturday, October 17

Mission Bay Harvest Festival

📍 SPARK Social SF, 601 Mission Bay Blvd North · 4:00 PM (outdoor movie at 7:00 PM) · Verify · Funcheap SF

Saturday, October 17

Off the Grid Treasure Island — Final Day of Fall Series

📍 Cityside Park, Treasure Island (387 Avenue of the Palms) · 11:00 AM–4:00 PM · Verify · Treasure Island SF

More from the Community

SoMa's Newest Climbing Gym Opens on Folsom Street — With Lower Prices Than the Competition

California Climbing Collective opened its doors on October 11 at 1264 Folsom Street in SoMa, capping more than three years of planning and buildout after owners Summer Bombard and Radu Popescu signed…

Developer Files Permits for 45-Story, 528-Unit Tower at SoMa Car Wash Site

Chicago-based Manna Capital filed preliminary permits on October 7 with the San Francisco Planning Department for a 479-foot, 45-story residential skyscraper at 1601 Mission Street — the site currently occupied by the…

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