Downtown San Francisco Leasing Timeline: Major Moves at 405 Howard St
PwC has maintained its San Francisco headquarters inside 405 Howard Street for nearly two decades, serving as the property's primary anchor. By deciding to recommit ahead of schedule, the firm sent a clear message to the local market. Corporate hub consolidation has replaced footprint downsizing as the dominant operational strategy for multinational accounting and advisory firms.
Under normal market circumstances, large tenants wait until 12 to 18 months before lease expiration to extract maximum concessions, tenant improvement allowances, and rent abatements from landlords. That calculus broke down over the past six months. Commercial tenant competition intensified as venture-funded technology companies began hunting for fully furnished, high-spec blocks exceeding 100,000 square feet. Had PwC let its lease run toward term, landlord Foundry Square I would have had substantial leverage to market the space to expanding software firms eager for immediate move-in readiness.