Lowe’s clinches plans for San Francisco

Lowe’s has finalized its lease agreement with the owners of Goodman Lumber and will soon break ground in San Francisco, becoming the first big-box DIY retailer in the city, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Lowe’s will build a 107,000-sq.-ft. store on Bayshore Boulevard, on the same site where Home Depot gained approval for a new unit after battling with community activists and local businesses for more than a decade. The Atlanta retailer then withdrew its plans as part of its new construction cutbacks last May.

According to the Chronicle, Lowe’s has agreed to abide by some of the provisions set forth in Home Depot’s agreement with municipal and county authorities: a $75,000 contribution to work force training for neighborhood residents; a $100,000 contribution to the San Francisco day labor programs; and a promise to hire three-fourths of the store’s retail employees from San Francisco.