Design Starts on Upper Market Infill Projects, Community Design Plan Headed to Commission

With the Upper Market Community Design Plan ready for presentation to the city’s Planning Commission, developers on at least two sites in the plan area have begun the design process for the mixed use residential and retail infill buildings called for in the plan. Recently CAPA president Joe Curtin and secretary Steve Hall have met with project sponsors for two sites, one at the now-closed S & C Ford dealership at Market and Dolores Streets, and the other at the still operating 76 gas station at 15^th and Market Streets.

The project sponsors have been invited to present their plans at a CAPA meeting later this year. Look for an announcement of meeting dates in upcoming issues of the “CAPA Planner”.

Although still preliminary, both designs show the influence of the public process of the Upper Market Planning Workshops of the past year, and the Market Octavia Plan. Both projects will have ground floor retail with high ceilings that will bring vibrant activity to the sidewalk, and include a variety of unit types that reflect the diversity of households in the Castro.

The Upper Market Community Design Plan will be presented to the Panning Commission, although a date has not been announced. The Commission’s focus on the Eastern Neighborhoods rezoning required a postponement from the July 10 hearing previously announced. CAPA will notify members by email when a new date is announced. You can review the Plan online at the Planning Department’s website, www.sfgov.org/planning, or go to CAPA’s website, www.capasf.org and click on “Links” to link to the plan.

GLBT History Exhibition Space to Open in the Castro

The GLBT Historical Society has announced that they have been offered a storefront at 18^th and Castro for a year, rent free. They plan to open a high-end exhibit there which will provide a historical context for Harvey Milk’s life. The exhibit will coincide with the opening of the Gus Van Sant film “Milk”, which was shot in the Castro earlier this year and will open in November. The exhibit space will be accompanied by a website and map of sites of LGBT history in the city, and is expected to open November 1, 2008.

This is an important opportunity for both the GLBT Historical Society and the Castro community. Bringing more community institutions to the Castro is one of CAPA’s goals. For the Historical Society, this is an opportunity to reach out to both residents and visitors in a place where many are looking for some deeper understanding of the importance of the Castro to the GLBT community. This location, while temporary, will hopefully open up a door to a permanent museum of GLBT history in the Castro.

While the rent on the space is free, the Historical Society needs to raise $160,000 to organize the exhibit itself. Please go to the Society’s website at www.glbthistory.org, (also linked to www.capasf.org) and click on “New Exhibit Space” to make a donation.