Resolution urging the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency to proceed without further delay the community-based development of the Plaza Hotel Site at 988-992 Howard Street in the South of Market earthquake recovery redevelopment and Bindlestiff Theater.
WHEREAS, In the City and County of San Francisco the greatest practicable effort for the development of additional new affordable housing as quickly as possible is urgently needed because there exists an extreme shortage of affordable housing for low-income households. This is especially the case for the residents and homeless of the South of Market (SOMA); and
WHEREAS, The South of Market has become a social, cultural, spiritual, artistic, and environmental refuge for the Filipino community because of the substantial displacement they have experienced elsewhere in the city in recent years due to the rapid increases in residential and commercial rents, more specifically the Sixth Street Neighborhood, which is obviously distressed and in great need of community-based revitalization to improve its economic and living conditions; and
WHEREAS, In accordance with the objectives of the California Community Redevelopment Law (Health and Safety Code Section 33000 et seq.), the Redevelopment Agency of the City and County of San Francisco undertakes programs for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of slums and blighted areas in the City and County of San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, On June 11, 1990, by Ordinance 234-90, the Board of Supervisors for the City adopted the South of Market Earthquake Recovery Redevelopment Plan which lists as one activity, "the rehabilitation, development or construction of low and moderate income housing within the Project Area and/or the City and County, or other housing within the Project Area"; and
WHEREAS, The Redevelopment Agency acquired the 32 room Plaza Hotel located at 988-992 Howard Street in August of 2000, including the current site of Bindlestiff Studio Theater, with the intent of redeveloping it as affordable housing with ground floor commercial space by utilizing tax increment revenues; and
WHEREAS, The Redevelopment Agency with support from the Mayor and Board of Supervisors has the primary responsibility to develop affordable housing and community centers in the South of Market, by seeking qualified nonprofit developers or developing housing themselves; and
WHEREAS, An integral component of the proposed development will be a permanent new Bindlestiff Theater, which will allow Bindlestiff Studio to continue its relationship with its constituency. Bindlestiff Studio is the only Filipino-American "black box" theater group in the United States. They are a vital cultural asset of the San Francisco Bay Area, especially San Francisco's Filipino community and the Sixth Street Neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, In spite of relentless community lobbying and strong support from the Board of Supervisors, the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency has yet to act expeditiously on the Plaza Hotel development, including Bindlestiff Studio; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Immigrants Rights Commission of the City and County of San Francisco strongly endorses the expeditious community-based development of the Plaza Hotel Site at Sixth and Howard streets in the South of Market Earthquake Recovery Redevelopment Area, including a new Bindlestiff Theater;
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Immigrants Rights Commission urges the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency to proceed without further delay the development of the Plaza Hotel Site, including a new Bindlestiff Theater through whatever means is necessary, either contracting out the project to a nonprofit developer or the Redevelopment Agency acting as the site developer; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Immigrants Rights Commission shall send a copy of this resolution to the Mayor's Office, Board of Supervisors, and the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency.
