San Francisco's landscape. Macy's is leaving the city nearly 80 years after opening the doors to its iconic building. And tonight, some questions about what's next for Union Square. >> Everything's evolving so quickly in San Francisco, so that I'm kind of excited to see what's going to go in next downtown is really, really cool. >> There's still so much going on. There's still new businesses coming in. >> A sad day for some San Franciscans, but for others, optimism about the future of Union Square. Good evening everyone. I'm Mike Mibach and I'm Claudine Wong. >> Macy's announced today that it will close 150 locations over the next two years. That includes the city's Union Square location. Macy's says a change in the retail landscape has forced it to change its strategy. So instead, the company is going to open 15 new Bloomingdale's and 30 new Bluemercury stores. The San Francisco Macy's will not close until the company can sell the building, which could take over a year. KTVU is Amber Lee joins us now live from the city. And Amber, this is a devastating loss for many, many emotionally attached to it. But it doesn't mean the end of Union Square. That's right. >> Claudine, tonight the people we spoke with say change is unavoidable and hard, but that they are optimistic about Union Square's future without Macy's. Corsetti serves up coastal Italian cuisine at Union Square. The restaurant opened just six months ago. >> We've done a good job to create a little cozy pocket, um, in downtown San Francisco, executive chef Holly Macerlean is a San Francisco native. >> She says she's saddened by news of Macy's union Square closing. But says Corsetti is among the new businesses that represent growth and change in the area. She tells me when she first started working downtown, she had concerns about crime and safety. >> There is a lot of hope and we are on the right track. We're not going backward. I already feel us moving forward. Um, tourism is still very much alive . >> Reporter general manager Reagan Hall says the restaurant has done well since it opened. She has been in the city for more than two decades. >> I love San Francisco and I just San Francisco is always changing. >> We do events here as well. >> The Starlight Cocktail Lounge reopened at the beginning of the month for the first time since the pandemic. It is on the top floor of Beacon Grand, formerly known as the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, under new ownership, it offers a sweeping views, including of Macy's Union Square. There's a lot of history here and we are proud to celebrate that history again. Proud of history. But progress comes with looking towards the future. >> There's a real concerted effort to support businesses to bring tourism back. Working with SF travel, the hotel Council, the Union Square Alliance, as well as as the city. >> Devastating news at and um in some ways not totally unexpected . >> Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who represents the Union Square area , says online shopping has dramatically changed the way consumers make purchases. He says there's already a group that's expressed an interest in buying the Macy's property. >> That building also could be well repositioned as multiple use and multiple stories, with restaurants that have extraordinary views of the square and everything's on the table. >> Someone with the right mind can, you know, come up with a creative solution to maintain the beauty and the glory that is downtown San Francisco. So >> Peskin says Macy's is expected to be here at least through the end of the year. The hope is that the beauty of Union Square, the great restaurants and family oriented attractions, will continue to attract people here. For Claudine, Mike, now the end of a chapter, but hopefully not the end of
