


Other civic infrastructure is another story.

Sports arenas often double as corporate billboards, as anyone who watched the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena can attest. If the idea of a huge tech firm placing its name on a work of public transportation facility seems unusual - it is. “We are thrilled to partner on this world-class, state-of the-art transportation hub, which will provide better access to and from San Francisco and a sprawling green park in the hub of downtown for all to enjoy.” “We’re committed to growing here and continuing to help make this city a better place for all its citizens,” Elizabeth Pinkham, Salesforce executive vice president for global real estate, said in a statement. “The goal is that after the first few years, the center will pay for itself.”įor Salesforce, the sponsorship emphasizes its presence in the center of the city - a much different approach than companies such as Apple and Google, which call Silicon Valley home. “This brings us a steady stream of funding to help operate at less of a deficit,” Zabaneh said. The park will include an amphitheater, a children’s playground and a large restaurant. The sponsorship money would go toward the estimated $20 million annual cost of operating the transit center and the rooftop park. When train service begins - there is no projected date - the annual fee would jump by another 20 percent. In year four, Salesforce would pay $3.28 million, and that rate would increase annually by 3 percent for the remainder of the agreement. There would be no payments the next two years. The deal would bring $1 million to the authority at the time of signing, and $9.1 million when bus service begins, expected next spring. There are no restrictions” imposed by Salesforce. “That was an important negotiation point,” said Mark Zabaneh, the authority’s executive director. A construction worker walks past Salesforce Tower signs on the outside of the Transbay Terminal construction site in San Francisco, CA, on Friday July 7, 2017. Nor would Salesforce have veto authority on events held in the park, even those of rival corporations. The cloud-like Salesforce logo that adorns two towers near the transit center would not appear on the exterior of the new facility, however. Similarly, the 5.4-acre rooftop open space will become Salesforce Park if the board of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority approves the contract Thursday at its monthly meeting.
