Levi Strauss Renews Lease at Market Street Flagship in SF

Levi Strauss has doubled down on denim in San Francisco, its hometown for 170 years.

Less than a year after the dungarees king renewed its lease for its headquarters in Jackson Square, Levi Strauss has renewed its lease at its 22,000-square-foot flagship store at 815 Market Street, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The apparel firm stuck to its location despite Old Navy and Nordstrom closing this summer on the same block. During the pandemic, clothing stores such as Gap, Marshalls and Uniqlo also left the tourist magnet near the Powell Street cable car turnaround.

Levi Strauss has occupied the Market Street store for a decade, after moving its flagship store out of Union Square. The owner of the property, and terms of the lease, were not disclosed.

Levi Strauss said on its website that it’s “more committed than ever to be a positive force for change here in our hometown.”

“As our city emerges from a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and grapples with new challenges, LS&Co. is reaffirming our ties to San Francisco — and we’re taking action to demonstrate our commitment, with the help of our fellow community members,” the company said.

In November, Levi Strauss renewed its lease for its 367,000-square-foot hub at Levi’s Plaza at 1155 Battery Street. Terms of the 12-year-lease were not disclosed.

The Market Square lease is a boon to a block that has seen better days. Store closures and fewer visitors around Powell Street coincided with the fatal shooting in April of Banko Brown outside a Walgreens. The drugstore, next to the Levi’s store, temporarily closed but has since reopened.

Following the exit of Nordstrom, the San Francisco Centre just down the street has been turned over to a receiver after Westfield and Brookfield surrendered the mall to its lender.

The 1.5 million-square-foot center is 45 percent vacant — and the subject of a soccer stadium plan headed by Mayor London Breed.

— Dana Bartholomew