{"id":29812,"date":"2023-11-10T13:45:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T21:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=29812"},"modified":"2023-11-10T14:01:33","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T22:01:33","slug":"insulting-10-story-proposal-for-22nd-and-mission-site-presented-to-skeptical-crowd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2023\/11\/10\/insulting-10-story-proposal-for-22nd-and-mission-site-presented-to-skeptical-crowd\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Insulting\u2019 10-story proposal for 22nd and Mission site presented to skeptical crowd"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\" by ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong> NOVEMBER 9, 2023 (MissionLocal.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Kevin Ortiz asks a question to Ian Birchall, the architect. Photo by Annika Hom. Taken Nov. 8, 2023.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Milo Trauss admitted the project at 2588 Mission St. was a \u201cnon-starter for some people.\u201d It\u2019s a 10-story, overwhelmingly market-rate building proposed by Hawk Lou, the owner of the site on Mission and 22nd streets where Lou\u2019s previous building burned in 2015<\/a>. Scores of tenants and businesses were displaced (including Mission Local), and one tenant died<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHa,\u201d an audience member laughed in response to project spokesperson Trauss\u2019 non-starter statement. \u201cIt is for everyone in this room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, many felt the proposal presented Wednesday evening at Mission Cultural Latino Center for the Arts was the complete opposite of what most in the room desired: A 100-percent affordable building, with retail spaces for businesses that serve a working-class, Latinx community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho were you thinking about with your design?\u201d Susana Rojas, executive director of Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, asked the development team, saying the project was not reflective of the Latino community. \u201cIt\u2019s our process. It\u2019s not the other way around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city requires a preliminary community meeting for any housing proposal, to inform residents of the plans. Most of the 50 or so attendees Wednesday, however, knew the plans, and did not like what they saw. When they asked to speak to the owner about their criticisms, they were told he was absent.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Trauss, on Lou\u2019s behalf, had originally planned for the meeting to occur \u201copen-house style,\u201d during which attendees could peruse stations with cardboard posters highlighting designs, and talk to the architects one-on-one. Wednesday\u2019s participants found this, and Lou\u2019s absence, \u201cinsulting.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA person died \u2026 and [the owner] doesn\u2019t even have the respect to come here and face us. Then you\u2019re going to railroad us with some paper cardboard and say that\u2019s a meeting?\u201d asked John Mendoza, the Calle 24 sergeant of arms. \u201cYou\u2019ve disrespected us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the crowd implored the development team to hold a group presentation so \u201ceveryone could be heard,\u201d lead architect Ian Birchall volunteered to present, lecture-style, and answer questions. As all had predicted, the sensitive context of the project led to a tense, passionate meeting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One woman said she\u2019d ask what everyone was wondering: How much of the project would be affordable? Birchall\u2019s response of 21 affordable units \u2014 out of 160 market-rate units, or 11.6 percent affordable \u2014 elicited multiple murmurs and head shakes from the audience. \u201cNo, no, no \u2026 \u201d Many spectators view a market-rate project as a catalyst to displacement and gentrification, given that the one- and two-bedroom units on this site would surpass a low-income person\u2019s budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, attendees from Latinx and American Indian organizations called for Lou to sell the long-vacant site to the city, so it can be developed into 100-percent affordable housing \u2014 a years-long request<\/a> \u2014 especially for the seniors and families who were displaced by the fire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow many of you want to sell to the city?\u201d Kevin Ortiz, of the San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club, asked the crowd, an hour into the presentation. A sea of arms shot up in agreement. \u201cSell it, sell it!\u201d a small group of audience members chanted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another sticking point for the crowd was the matter of commercial leases. Community organizing director of HomeRise, Sara Shortt, lives nearby and mourned the former swath of businesses at the Mission Market, which was housed on the ground floor. Others missed buying flowers and cafecitos at 2588 Mission St. for cheap, especially from Latinx proprietors. \u201cThat was our mercado. Culturally,<\/em> ours,\u201d said Roberto Hernandez, the chief executive officer of CANA and a candidate for District 9 supervisor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trauss, a managing partner at GCA Strategies, and Birchall said a few aspects of the project could still be influenced by community input, including to determine the use of the 1,400 square foot community space along Bartlett Street. There would be a multipurpose room in the basement, an architect said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But community members challenged the statement, saying that, for years, project developers knew the community\u2019s demands and failed to uphold them. \u201cHow many times have I told you, this project is ugly?\u201d Ortiz asked.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several commenters brought up the circumstances of the fire, and the trauma it wrought on seniors and the more than 40 low-income tenants affected. One reminded the audience how Mauricio Orellana<\/a> died, with his headphones on in a closet, at age 38. Tommy Jue<\/a>, whom Lou had hired as contractor, had allegedly installed faulty fire alarms and was later sued by the District Attorney. Community members on Wednesday alleged Lou and his team are \u201cprofiteering\u201d on the \u201cblood\u201d of Orellana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo come here and act like we need to get over it, that\u2019s disrespectful,\u201d one woman said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the outrage, the state<\/a> has made it harder to allow community input to curtail housing in recent years. Save for eminent domain,<\/a> it appears Lou may well achieve his project without the risk of city intervention or compromises with locals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project is expected to reach the Planning Commission before year\u2019s end, Birchall said. The next time a community meeting happens, locals want Lou there, they said. Birchall closed the proceedings, thanking everyone for their \u201cpassion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wish there was a way we can convince you too that we care about the community,\u201d Birchall said. \u201cThat\u2019s a path we need to go down so far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATCH UP:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Who<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Who should make a killing off a lethal Mission fire?<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>by JOE ESKENAZI<\/a><\/strong>SEPTEMBER 25, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"22nd<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

22nd and Mission fire site owner will seek 10-story housing project<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>by ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/strong>SEPTEMBER 14, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Four-Alarm<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Four-Alarm Fire at Mission and 22nd Kills One, Displaces Dozens<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>by LYDIA CH\u00c1VEZ<\/a><\/strong>, LAURA WENUS<\/a><\/strong>, ANDREA VALENCIA<\/a><\/strong>, DANIEL HIRSCH<\/a><\/strong> and DANIEL MONDRAG\u00d3N<\/a><\/strong>JANUARY 28, 2015<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

<\/a>ANNIKA HOM<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

annika.hom@missionlocal.com<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

REPORTER. Annika Hom is our inequality reporter through our partnership with Report for America. Annika was born and raised in the Bay Area. She previously interned at SF Weekly and the Boston Globe where she focused on local news and immigration. She is a proud Chinese and Filipina American. She has a twin brother that (contrary to soap opera tropes) is not evil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow her on Twitter at @AnnikaHom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by ANNIKA HOM NOVEMBER 9, 2023 (MissionLocal.org) Milo Trauss admitted the project at 2588 Mission St. was a \u201cnon-starter for some people.\u201d It\u2019s a 10-story, overwhelmingly market-rate building proposed by Hawk Lou, the owner of the site on Mission and 22nd streets where Lou\u2019s previous building burned in 2015. Scores of tenants… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1402],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29812"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29812"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29814,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29812\/revisions\/29814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}