From the Ground Up: The Business of Building in the Age of Money

This engrossing study, flavored with the appeal of San Francisco and written by Los Angeles Times national correspondent Frantz, examines the combination of dreaming and entrepreneurship required to succeed in the cyclical realty business--as exemplified by San Francisco's Rincon Center, recently completed at a cost estimated at $150 million-$160 million. Located in a rundown area, architect Scott Johnson's multi-use complex was designed to yield maximum profit. The author describes in dramatic detail the planning and problem-fraught construction of an earthquake-resistant, square-block project including a central atrium and spectacular waterfall, and incorporating a landmark building. While praising Johnson's successful use of public space in this modern equivalent of a Gothic cathedral, Frantz notes that, as with private developments elsewhere, the needs of displaced low-income people were not met. Photos not seen by PW. (Sept.)