Hearst Corp Planning To Redevelop San Francisco Block

While the Chronicle building would remain "the adjacent former Examiner building on Fifth Street, which is not considered historic, would be replaced with an office tower slightly higher than the InterContinental hotel across the street."

The developer wants to turn the tower into a creative work space divided between the arts and technology companies the city wants to attract from Silicon Valley.

"Maximizing social value and maximizing business value can be very much in tandem, and the best in urban development does that," said Alexa Arena, vice president for Forest City-San Francisco developers.