District 5 Newsletter - March 25, 2024
Friends and neighbors,
Happy Spring! This season is known as the “season of hope,” and with it comes feelings of regeneration and restoration. Perfect timing with $2 million in federal funding we secured to start a community-based planning process to reconnect the Japantown-Fillmore/Western Addition neighborhoods that were physically divided and harmed by the redevelopment-era construction of the Geary Boulevard/Fillmore Street underpass in the 1960s. I am grateful for our partnership with the Transportation Authority and community leaders who came together to win funds from the US Department of Transportation for this project.
Spring is also when crops are planted, to be harvested later to keep our bodies nourished. Food security is a priority for my office, and we’re deeply appreciative of the hardworking farmers who travel long distances to set up at the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market every Wednesday and Sunday to feed our City. But I also know how hard it is for many people in our district to access nutritious food they need in one shopping trip, and at a price point they can afford.
That is why last week, I introduced a resolution to bring a full-service grocery store to the Tenderloin, a neighborhood that hasn’t had a full-service grocery store in decades. Since the Tenderloin was redistricted into D5 two years ago, we’ve spoken with thousands of community members, read every possible report prepared by city departments, task forces, and community-based organizations, and the message is loud and clear: the Tenderloin needs a full-service grocery store without further delay.
We are also continuing to protect food security for the Fillmore. Through incredible organizing by the community and pressure from our office, we were able to stop the Webster Safeway from closing until January 2025. There are five upcoming community meetings to discuss grocery options in the Fillmore District, hosted by the Human Rights Commission (HRC), Planning Department, and Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD). Please RSVP here for more information about upcoming meetings.
Nearby in Hayes Valley, the new Trader Joe’s at 555 Fulton is finally slated to open this May, following numerous meetings with the developer, the buyer, and Trader Joe’s, active engagement from neighborhood residents, and my office calling for a hearing at the Government Audit and Oversight Committee . It has been 15 years since the Board of Supervisors passed legislation creating the Fulton Street Grocery Store Special Use District, allowing for increased development capacity at 555 Fulton Street in exchange for authorizing a large-scale neighborhood-serving grocery store as a permitted commercial use. The 139 condominiums at 555 Fulton were built and ready for use, but the grocery store was missing until this recent win.
These food victories couldn’t have been done without a strong community behind our legislation and advocacy. You can show your support for a grocery store in the Tenderloin by signing this petition: https://bit.ly/tenderloin-grocery-store.
As always, stay in touch with the District 5 office by emailing us at PrestonStaff@sfgov.org, calling (415) 554-7630, or replying to this email.
In community,
Dean Preston, District 5 Supervisor
Arbor Day Fair and Planting 100 Trees in District 5
San Francisco celebrated Arbor Day on March 9 with the annual Arbor Day Fair, followed by a huge community tree-planting event in District 5. New Traditions Elementary School hosted the free festival and kickoff, which included bucket truck rides, planter box building, visits from the famous grazing goats, and many more family-fun activities. Over 200 volunteers then set out to the Tenderloin, NoPa and Hayes Valley with Public Works staff to plant 13 different species of trees in the district.
The mass planting was made possible through the Transportation Authority’s voter-approved transportation sales tax program (previously Prop K and now Prop L), which has provided $22.8 million for new trees and maintaining trees since 2004.
Our office planted a tree on Hayes Street with our friends from the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, and the Transgender Cultural District. We’re looking forward to our tree adding to healthier air and climate protection, providing shade in the heat, improving traffic calming, and providing a calming presence to the neighborhood.
Landmarking The Sacred Heart Parish Complex
We are proud to have helped the Sacred Heart Parish Complex, a site dating back to the late 1800s, receive landmark status this month. The site is situated in the heart of District 5 and consists of four contiguous lots bound by Fillmore, Fell, Webster, and Oak.
The church, rectory, school, and convent that comprise the complex are beautiful examples of the Romanesque Revival‐style of that era. The complex is significant for its association with master architect Thomas J. Welsh, who designed over 400 buildings in San Francisco and was one of the chief practitioners of the Romanesque Revival style in the city. The complex is also significant for its association with Father Eugene Boyle, pastor of the church from 1968 to 1972. A prominent and influential civil rights activist in northern California, Father Boyle served as the public face for Catholic involvement in the Black civil rights movement, protest of the Vietnam War, fights against urban renewal, fair housing advocacy, and the farm labor movement.
Since 2014, the Sacred Heart Church has also become home to the beloved Church of 8 Wheels, curated by David Miles Jr., where roller skaters can skate inside the beautiful church building. The Church of 8 Wheels is now in its 10th year of roller skating at the church.
With the historic landmarking status of this site, the owners have shared with our office their intention to continue this successful collaboration with Miles, which means that the church should continue to be a place for beginners and pros alike to put on their skates and groove to disco music under neon lights and stained glass windows.
