Big Step Forward Toward Reactivated Fillmore Heritage Center
Yesterday, my office welcomed the news that the Mayor’s office has selected an applicant to reopen and operate the Fillmore Heritage Center, located at Fillmore and Eddy in the Western Addition. This is a crucial institution in the heart of the Fillmore, and its preservation and activation has been a top priority for our office. The announcement marks a major step forward toward reactivation and ensuring that the building will be maintained for the benefit of the community for generations to come.
The journey to reactivate the FHC has not been an easy one. The FHC was previously home to Yoshi’s, which shut down in 2014, and 1300 on Fillmore, which closed in 2017. It’s use by community groups was shut down in 2017 and the building has been vacant since. The property was put up for sale, with requirements for permissible uses, in 2017, but never sold. As a property of the former Redevelopment Agency, it’s controlled by OCII, which is under a state mandate to either sell or transfer the property.
In 2021, our office pushed for the immediate temporary reactivation of the FHC, and supported efforts by SFHDC and NCLF to launch a temporary community-serving use, while we also called for the property to remain in public hands, not be sold to a private buyer. City departments initially encouraged the proposal for temporary activation, but then abruptly ended that process, preferring to focus on long-term activation. We made our position clear. First, that the Fillmore Heritage Center remain in the hands of the public and the community, and not be sold to the highest bidder, which was under serious consideration in 2021. Second, that the space be activated promptly and in a manner that celebrates the Black community of the Fillmore.
At a rally with Rev. Amos Brown, Danny Glover and community members, and in public statements later that year, my office stood with community leaders to ensure the Fillmore Heritage Center would remain in the Black community, and that the building would not be sold to the highest bidder.
In 2022, heeding the call from the community and our office, the Administration made clear that it would not be selling the building, and that an RFP would be issued to select an operator or operators for the space. We urged a community meeting, and partnered the Human Rights Commission the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and OCII to hold a meeting in advance of the RFP. Led by MOHCD, a selection process was announced in April 2023.
This week the Mayor’s Office announced the results of its selection process. San Francisco Housing Development Corporation and Westside Community Services – two respected organizations with deep ties in the Fillmore – were selected.
We congratulate SFHCD and Westside Community Services for being selected and we are excited to work together to ensure their success in this crucial, but long-dormant, community center in the Fillmore.
As we celebrate this step forward, we also want to note some additional context regarding community-led economic development efforts in the neighborhood. Here are some major developments:
In the Black launched at Fillmore and Geary, supporting black entrepreneurs and replacing a check cashing and payday loan business with a micro business incubator
OEWD and Dreamkeeper Technical Assistance Programs
Minnie Bell's Soul Food will be opening on the Fillmore corridor
Friday Night Market on O’Farrell is gathering momentum
$17 million was awarded to fund the Western Addition Transportation ____ to improve traffic safety
Enhanced steam cleaning on the neighborhood commercial corridor has begun
OCEIA expanded its ambassador coverage to have a presence in the Fillmore
D5 Pitch Program is launching to provide seed funding for Fillmore entrepreneurs
Buchanan Mall revitalization project is underway, with funding secured from state and local sources totaling over $28 million.
Fillmore Mini Park is nearing completion in the next couple of months
This is just a small sampling of the work that has been made possible due to active community leadership, partnership with the District 5 Office, funds provided by the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor, and staff support from Departments including HRC, OEWD, and MOHCD. We look forward to continuing to partner with all stakeholders and City Departments to support community-led efforts in the Fillmore.