Anchor Brewing plant on S.F. waterfront Anchor will build plant at Pier 48 site in Giants' Mission Rock project

Artist renderings of the interior and exterior of the proposed Anchor Brewing's Pier 48 Brewery. Artist renderings of the interior and exterior of the proposed Anchor Brewing's Pier 48 Brewery. Photo: Courtesy Anchor Brewing Photo: Courtesy Anchor Brewing Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Anchor Brewing plant on S.F. waterfront 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

The San Francisco Giants have snagged the first tenant for their $1.6 billion Mission Rock development project on the San Francisco waterfront.

Anchor Brewing Co. will occupy what is now Pier 48 with production and distribution facilities, a restaurant, museum and other public attractions. The 212,000-square-foot space is an addition to Anchor Brewing's existing plant on Potrero Hill, and will quintuple the company's output from 120,000 to 600,000 barrels a year.

"This is big news for us. We can now further expand our domestic market (Anchor is sold in every state) and open up new international markets," said CEO Keith Greggor. "It's also a huge commitment to San Francisco."

MBA BY THE BAY: See how an MBA could change your life with SFGATE's interactive directory of Bay Area programs.

The mixed-use Mission Rock development, spread over 27 acres south of AT&T Park, includes plans for 1,500 apartments, retail and office space, parks and other amenities. Assuming the plans pass muster with various agencies, starting with the Port Commission next month, and the environmental impact report is up to snuff, construction should begin in late 2014 and Anchor Steam could be on tap there by the end of 2016.

"I can't think of a better partner than Anchor Steam, which has been here since 1896, and been involved with us since we were at Candlestick Park," said Giants CEO Larry Baer.

Anchor is also the city's largest manufacturer, and construction of its facility will add 200 jobs to the 150 at the Potrero Hill plant. Those jobs will be among an estimated 7,000 at Mission Rock when the project is complete, which is expected by 2017.

All of which makes Mayor Ed Lee happy.

"Among my highest priorities is to make sure our homegrown companies can stay, grow and hire right here in San Francisco, driving job growth, improving our neighborhoods, and in this case our world-class waterfront," he said.

Fighting back: California entrepreneurs and investors who have been hammered by an out-of-the-blue retroactive tax are organizing.

A group called California Business Defense has hired a lobbyist and a lawyer and last week met with Gov. Jerry Brown's representatives and Sacramento lawmakers to protest the retroactive elimination of a 20-year-old small business capital gains tax break by the state Franchise Tax Board.

The elimination, which the agency said was the result of court ruling negating one of the tax break's provisions, is estimated to affect up to 2,500 small business owners who are on the hook for anywhere between $60,000 and $500,000.

"We're asking for a 90-day freeze on bills and alternative ways of dealing with the court decision," said Brian Overstreet, one of the entrepreneurs facing a six-figure bill. The group is also demanding the opportunity to offer input to the Franchise Tax Board on its decision to demand back taxes, which was arrived at behind closed doors in December.

The group hadn't heard back from Brown's office - which wants to keep businesses from leaving the state - as of Friday. Maybe that will happen by midweek, Overstreet is hoping (www.ca businessdefense.org).

All aboard: Should you be interested in Texas as a place to do business - as Gov. Rick Perry pitched y'all last week - a Bay Area airline can get you there and back nonstop.

Tickets are on sale now for Virgin America daily flights from San Francisco International Airport to Austin, which begin in May. "No matter which state their job is based in, guests on Virgin America can stay productive even at 35,000 feet," the Burlingame company says in a news release.

Virgin America also announced that ticket sales have begun for nonstop summer flights to Anchorage, from June to September.

Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell is particularly happy with the news, because, among other things, it will "spur local economic growth."

Were there any local incentives spurring the airline's decision to open up in the Texas capital? "The airport provided about $1 million in waived landing fees and facility rent for the first year," a Virgin America spokeswoman said.