secretary of the board, the vice president of the board, and one of the need artists of the wonderful installation, which i will talk abou last week, i have the honor speaking at a presentation in the southeast corner of my district. the blackrock arts organization was the organization behind bringing this great project to one of our spaces. they have been pioneering a very exciting new model for public arts in which they partner with neighborhoods and communities and city governments to temporarily placed city art project. the products that are facilitated by it as collaborative one have generated tremendous social but as a patient brought the process of both the installation and participation. since the first installation that they assisted with several years ago, we have now had several major installations in

various major public spaces throughout the city, which have been extremely well received from every neighborhood that has been in. most of the neighborhoods have come, what is known internationally known festival, which was born in san francisco 25 years ago. from my perspective and i think many of my colleagues share this perspective, i think we need to do everything we can to help our city really grow, not just the are cystic -- the artistic community but our city's artistic economy. we need to promote breast core values of activity, community, and activism. i want to thank those of you with the foundation and the community for all you have been doing both for san francisco for the world and for our wonderful public spaces in our city. thank you. [applause]

>> it is a real privilege to be able to serve the community with the black rock foundation's work. this is where our roots are, and this is where a lot of our activity happens. although we are expanding worldwide, the burning man organization is world renowned, and a lot of people do not understand or realize that the black rock arts foundation supports artists all year round, and we have a big presence in san francisco. have you all see in the rocket ship down at pier 14? i highly recommend you go check it out. it is this beautiful retro futuristic looked from the 1920's or 1930's, and flash gordon comes to mind.

when we were installing it, an elderly gentleman wearing a service cap -- they were veterans of foreign wars, giggling like schoolchildren, climbing up on to the concrete blocks trying to get photos of each other on the fence, so i offered to take some photos of them, and it was really touching. i was trying to make sure they got the mall in there, and they said they did not care about them, but just get the rocket. the action was not behind a fence half an hour later and were still taking photographs and having a good time. that is the kind of work that black rock arts foundation is able to bring to a civic setting. it is work that is cutting edge and fun and play ball, and it is not just a guy on a horse with a sword -- fun and playful. i want to thank you for your support as well as the grants for the art -- the department of

art environment, who we have a program with. i would like to thank our board members who were introduced, and especially the artist, one of which is representative. if it were not for them, we would not be doing what we're doing. if you have a neighborhood with a park that could use some art, you have a community that once some art, you know an artist that could use some funding, let us know, and we can help. thank you. [applause] >> part of our mission is to promote civic opportunity end engagement, and thanks to a wonderful city you are helping to run in sentences, you make

it truly worthwhile. it is a wonderful opportunity. thank you. [applause] >> item 19. >> madam chair, and 19 has already been called. commissioner chiu: thank you. i appreciate your patience. this is an item of significant importance to an institution within chinatown in my district, which has been in need of significant and expensive seismic work. i noted to do this, we need some tweaks to the bonds are around transferable rights, and we considered this last week at land use and had passed out a version of legislation unanimously, but over the last few days, a number of representatives of other projects have come to a number of us asking for some

consideration of changes, so what i would like to propose at this time, because there's not a complete meeting of the mines, is that we do the following -- that we send the legislation back to land use, but before we do that, we duplicate of your files, both of which will need to be amended based on some of the conversations open -- we duplicate two files. we need to meet some deadlines that are necessary, so at this time, i would like to make a motion to duplicate the file and to amend these two versions of the file. the first version to have a minor amendment on language that would add information around making payments used to make loans used to finance the preservation and rehabilitation. the second version would be amendments that embody ongoing discussions with some of these owners and developers. if i could make that did look as

if an amendment set of motions. -- duplicative and amendments set of motions, and if i could make a motion to send both of these back to land use. the intent is that we will work the issues out over the next few days hopefully and on monday passed out a version that would come back to the board next week so that we do not have to have a hearing here at the board, that we can actually do this business back the land use. >> moved that we continue this to committee, seconded by supervisor mirkarimi. as amended. >> madam chair, mr. president, that was without objection. commissioner chiu: the two versions will be sent to land use committee. madam clerk, are there any in memoriams for today? today's meeting will be adjourned in memory of the following individuals -- on

behalf dufty of behalf, the late sgt margin anthony lugo, the late mr. william koblets. that concludes our business for today. commissioner chiu: colleagues, we are adjourned for today.

>> welcome to culture wire. did you know the city of san francisco has an art collection consisting of 3500 objects? the collection ranges from painting and public buildings to murals, and from bronze busts in city halls, to cite specific structures. at this time, many of the large works are in desperate need of repair, and a long-term innovative solution is needed to make sure these public treasures will be cared for. >> the story of the arts commission program begins with ruth fromstein. 2010 marks her 50th year as an

art dealer. at the helm of the county, she had represented some of the most notable of bay area artists, and continues to look for new talent. >> the artists that i represent, what do i choose them, if asked to do with a background of what the gallery is about. i love the idea of finding new guys and watching them grow. it is the old fashioned way of having a nunnery, which is having a stable. what you have is loyalty to them, artists are loyal to you. the philosophy behind that, my philosophy, has not changed since i started 49 years ago. i take care of you and you take care of me. it has been that way ever since. >> ruth represents the estate

of the world renowned sculptor peter focused. in 1971, he created and the love the untitled public work cited at seventh and bryant. like many other public works of art, this is in need of repair. ruth began conversations with the director of cultural affairs, a andart care was born. >> we look at all of the local pieces and decided which one needed the most repair, to bring it back to where it was before. that is what i am after. if you drive by right now, you cannot see it coming down seventh street. you can only see it as you come up to it. >> one's culture outside of the

hall of justice was one of the first pieces commissioned after the 1969 ordinance. it is significant that we are planning to treat it as part of the art care program. the program intends to take care of the bronze sculpture located in very park, a monument to the korean community of san francisco. it has been in the park for over 20 years, has become a bit of a magnet for vandalism. we are also looking at several sculptures from henry more, one in front of the symphony building. we are also looking at yen and yang, a much loved peace -- piece. but the team has been damaged over time, so we need to treat -- patina has been damaged over

time, so we need to treat it. >> roof and was given a lifetime award for her contributions to and influence over the bay area artist community. >> the lifetime achievement award -- it is embarrassing to me but i have to learn to accept it. this is the way it is. also, everybody here is good things happening about them after they are dead. i have the opportunity to see this happen while i am still lives. i look at this award as an opportunity for me to find a place for my craft and keep the art program going. >> the director of the program address the crowd and ask for each member to consider donating funds to help save some of san francisco's most important neighborhood landmarks. >> as one of san francisco's

living treasures, we respect you and, frankly, we are in off -- awe of your 50 years of tireless effort as an early art on from for north. >> i would like to be perhaps the first donation to our care and present you with a check to get the ball rolling. >> because i know that the arts commission is very sincere about this, i'm going to make a personal commitment of $10,000. [applause] >> what is significant about the program is the way it is set out allows us to treat the artworks that have the most need, the ones that our conservative have pointed out as the most vulnerable as opposed to ones that might be the most popular were the most miserable -- the most visible. >> it is an opportunity for the public to get involved with these art works located in their backyard and ultimately belong to them. >> i want to do something for

the community, just giving back what the community has done for me. it is corny to say, but it is true. it really is what it is. that i would be able to see more pieces cleanup. >>" will check back in the future and see the fruits of conservation and revitalization efforts. if you would find out more or donate to the art carethe artsfartcommission.org.

>> thank you all for coming out on this beautiful san francisco day. i brought my sunglasses. i'm the director of public works here in san francisco, very pleased to be here today, despite the weather and grateful you all came out, in intite of it as well. in spite of it as well. what we're talking about today is a pretty momentous for san francisco -- it would be really anywhere under -- under normal times but given the given what is going on in the state and around the world, it is more remarkable. the city of sfrarnings the land area of san francisco -- the

land area of san francisco, 25% of it is taken up by public rights of way. it is a real big part of the city that we maybe don't necessarily always think of as part of our public realm. often we're just passing through it. we're really very fortunate here in san francisco that after -- after really more than a generation, i would say, of neglect, that we now is here. we have a mayor. we have a board of supervisors that understands the importance of the city's infrastruck which chur and the public rights of way that com provides a significant part of the city. that understanding has been manifested in their financial commitment to investment and infrastructure, both to main and repair and upgrade it but also to improve it. what -- what you're going to -- what you're seeing here already and what you're going to hear from the speakers is just, the latest example here on leland is

an example of that improvement. it is not just making sure the streets are paved which is absolutely important and making sure the sidewalks are in good condition and we have accessible curb cuts so folks in wheel chairs and other disabilities can access our public realm safely but really ep happensing the public realm so it is not just passing through as you whiz by in your car, it is for being in and enjoying and i think -- helland is -- is really an excellent machine festtation of that, a world class facility, that we're bringing to the neighborhood has is long overdue. the reason all of this is happening it because we had the leadership to make it happen and to drive it to happen. so we have a lot of folks here that i want to acknowledge and a few folks that are going to speak. of course i want to start with the person who has been driving this from before he became

mayor, but certainly before he was mayor full time, gavin newsom. >> thank you for coming out, this is our sixth great street project. we had a vision to be more like chicago. an ode to chicago. anybody has ever visited chicago, you go down michigan avenue and everyone goes like why can't we be like chicago? they don't go in the neighborhoods, they just go down michigan avenue and the entire city and county of chicago and the cook county around chicago looks like michigan avenue. but nonetheless, it is something that vexes you, you think why can't we be more like michigan avenue. so began the journey many years ago to say what do we need to do differently had order to organize ourselves in a way that we could create great streets through the commercial corridors

and the main entry points in and out of our city. we got the together and we realized there was a lot of money already being spent, it wasn't being coordinated, it wasn't a collaborative. you didn't have the arts commission working with the department of public works and the public utilities commission and working with the economic development office and our lobbiest at the state and federal level to match state and federal and local dollars to organize a much more organized narrative. that's what the great streets propose to do. if you been down divizidero. if you have been been to polk, and valencia, it is extraordinary. the work that will be done soon and balboa, the work that will be done down on 19th avenue and then the significant work that will be disproportionately

certed by harrington, down caesar chavez will be extraordinary. those will be the final three of those nine great streets projects. leland and sam bruno were among the last two. we're celebrating this -- this today, but we're also celebrating those that we completed in the past number of months and last few years. why does this matter? you'll hear in a second why this matters. creates a sense of place. a streetscape with the neighborhood and it com -- in a completely different way. it encourages and enlivens a pedstrone flow and -- pedestrian flow and sense of community. it slows people down. i have been here 300 times, if you think i'm exaggerating, i have not. i spent too much time. there's never too much time, but

a lot of time at the sunny dale housing projects. the first few years i was mayor, i was down here for the wrong reasons, that was because of the struggles and frustration we had to deal with the issue of crime and violence and coming down back and forth, almost on a weekly basis to visit the families that were victimized by the crime and violence. we started to celebrate with tournaments and fairs. nevertheless this street neatedee needed help and support. i want to thank supervisor maxwell for her steadfastness and her deliberativeness and her desire to make sure we doesn't forget vision visitation valley. she reminded us what 457ped and the impact on the naked and the commercial corridor, et cetera. here we are, not only celebrating her vision and leadership and celebrating this occasion with all of these lights and the 60-plus trees and

the new curb cuts and all of the new landscaping that has been done and this great piece of public art which we'll talk about in a moment. the naked market place initiative that we incorporated in this, and we got facade improvement hoops and enbe couraged businesss to come down to the vague capt storefronts. we'll also soon celebrate 1250 units of new housing. 10s of thousands of square feet of retail. a new grocery store. yes. finally. down here. that will be put in to the old site. the new open space, that will connect that great third street height rail and all of the streetscape improvements that we see that -- that separate the two sites. i just think this is the beginning of a renaissance down here. and i'm just grateful for all of the help for the stewardship and here for those assembled that made this possible and the community leadership assem beibled here today. >> final thing i want to

mention. we're investing a historic amount of money. i thank ed for his good work. it is tough work to repave our streets and improve our -- our sidewalks and -- our -- our thoroughfares. this year over $50 million will go to repave the streets. this is a historic amount of money. i say that, you say big deal. why is he bringing that up. well, it is a big deal in this economic climate that we're putting more money than we ever have to do something that we know we need to do. we're not backing away from that commit. $48.5 million will be invested in significant and tangible ways to improve the streetscapes of the city, including the sidewalks and not just our streets. in this next fiscal year. i'm very proud of that, it really reinforces the commitment that we're making to beautyify the city and county of san francisco. that's why i'm here to thank for

your patience -- patience to the businesses that didn't know if this would hurt or help. i know it he renegotiate your leases. they say, the street is better. we got to worry about that. i apologize for those rental negotiations may be tougher. that's the price, right, of investment, everybody benefits. nonetheless you're the first beneficiary after this strong construction process. again to the community, because again, i think this helps the residents, not the commercial corridor. great essential place and identity, job well done. finally, i'll come back out here. don't just come here today. what do you have -- your fifth street festival this sunday? the 19th. come on down to leland. take -- take muni. take caltran. take your brike. get out and jog. walk down here. this will be the -- this will be

the fifth street fair to put together. congratulations, that is what it takes is the strong cohesive commitment to keep the energy going to keep these expoings going and -- keep these things in people's consciousness front and center, a very important part of the fabric of san francisco, visitation valley, a part of the city that -- we have not forgotten. it is a part of the city that we must not neglect for years to come. thank you [applause] >> thank you, mr. mayor prp both -- for the leadership, that is -- that's why we're all able to have these events over and over again to trumpet the good work we do in san francisco. particularly to reinforce a record amount of money going into street resurfacing this year in san francisco, augmented by additional funds for streetscape improvements, sidewalk repairs, and -- two points on that.

one is that not only are we getting our infrastructure repaired and improved and enhanced but we're also creating jobs in the process. so, at a time when many people need them most, we're -- we're putting people to work as well. we not only get better streets and rights of way as a benefit. we get people working, a point not to lose in this infrastructure nevment. one other point that it is not just local funds. it is a heavy -- it is not easy if the mayor and the board in this kind of climate to make the commitment to put aside the local funds needed to keep this moving. what those funds do as well as a lot of machining and coordination between all of the different city departments is that it makes us competitive for federal fuppeds and part of this project and many other project including some that we have just been awarded, through the federal government, are bringing millions of additional dollars in to san francisco. again, it is because of the here

of the mayor and the board, getting the city agencies together to coordinate, to plan, so that when we go and compete against other cities andtates, we're competitive and those dollars are coming to san francisco, so, thanks -- thanks again to the leadership, and with regard to our legislative branch, i think the mayor set it up well, and this community -- you have and have had for the last seven and three quarters years or so, a very strong advocate and your supervisor is someone with whom i know my department and the other city departments finds a great ally on the board. someone that helps us serve the needs of this community, this project is just one of many. we have a new library down the street, also, representing some of the efforts of your supervisors i like to ask sophie maxwell to come up and say a few words. >> thank you. thank you very much. >> thank you all, first and foremost, i have to thank the valley community because -- they have been in the forefront of

planning. we been planning for -- i been in office about 10 years, fran martin one of the community leaders has been there with us. we been planning for a long time our steets, the hibe prairie, the -- of course our green way, the valley greenway that is known all over the city and it continues down. that planning, that green way is going to influence what happens at slage hock. this community has been involved from the very beginning talking about what they wanted to see and how they wanted to see it. the merchants have been there ault way. we talked about what they needed to have things so that they could work well, what they immediated to make things work while we were cog the -- doing the streetscape. they were right there all the way encouraging people to come and continue to come. i can't say enough about -- about all of the city agencies, a lot of people -- that live -- that work for our city also live in our city. they live in our neighborhoods.