case, we are practically paying for a fancy administrative building for people to do it -- to do their reports. >> i would not characterize it that way. i've said this is a place for officers to conduct reports and create a presence on the street to provide public safety supervisor chu: board -- safety. supervisor chu: regarding the place, did we have alternatives? other strategies where if we had invested in them it might be a single facility? >> when the search began some time ago, led by redevelopment, there was an analysis done of public assets and whether those could afford us the opportunity. none were as strategically located like this, at the key corner of influence. nor did they have the right sizing or timing of availability is. it would have required similar

capital investments. the focus was then moved to privately owned space, resolved to be the best opportunity for a good lease that was favorable to the city, with reasonable conditions in terms of improvements. supervisor chu: we may not have had a city facility at that location, but did we have one close by that would have still been able to accommodate the officers? >> unfortunately, not with a street presence. we may have been able to find a location in an office building in an upper floor, but then you do not get the synergy that you have with a store from vacation and benefits that that brings to the neighborhood. supervisor chu: thank you. supervisor avalos? supervisor avalos: where do we have existing substations in san francisco?

what we find in terms of how successful they are on the street? >> there are two facilities with similar store fronts on broad street and -- i cannot think of the other, but mostly public housing is where they have been used. they have been very successful because the officers come and go. there is a place where they come and go. because of the random nature of their coming and going, there is a greater sense of public safety in the surrounding area. it gives the chance to sit down and then go back out in the street. the officers coming and going, it becomes that familiarity. creating a presence in the area that the chief is committed to. supervisor avalos: what is happening there right now? >> same kind of thing. in about regard?

-- in what regard? supervisor avalos: is a closed? >> officers are going in there. supervisor avalos: from that experience, how does that inform -- i can see the real point of having a substation on sixth street, and i can see why the community would want to have one, especially those folks who live there up and down the corridor and who have experienced the danger there. >> our belief is that the impact on sixth street will be even greater. there is more foot traffic, more pedestrian traffic. there is greater motor vehicle traffic, going up and down. it is all about creating a presence that makes the community develop a perception of safety. supervisor avalos: most of the

time i am on broad street, i do not see the presence of officers. i would like to see that we are creating a substation with general fund dollars where we actually do see the presence that will provide a meaningful sense of safety. >> again, there are many more beat officers in the mid market core area. >> thank you. >> supervisor kim? supervisor kim: i know that there are concerns about the cost of this project and the use of federal funds. looking at some of the items in the plan, i was hoping someone could walk us through why these are necessary for an

administrative office. is it as simple as the panels in the basement ceiling? could someone just walk us through a low bid by these can become part of the administrative office. >> certainly. this was a process of getting a staff of real-estate police and others in a room look at but we were proposing and where could be made so, facilities were scaled down considerably. you just heard how this facility will be used. in that regard, and those other

things were scaled out conceivably and both of the cost in you see in the red sheep relate his safety of the facility. i am a hardening in terms of ballistic projection. -- protection. that is the lion's share. an item that we have to be realistic about. the location that could be a target for bad behavior. it could be expensive. dtw affected a great job in the alternatives to get to a certain ballistic level that is set up to national standards.

we have some standards to meet to -- that drove the kind of kevlar but the other biggest item was mechanical equipment, induction, and the protection of that here, we need to be sure that the air flow was protected and i appreciate that. and in the future i hope we can expand of what the substation is a about -- could read occasionally have desk times? office times to be there for the

community balance of neighborhoods could know how to be stronger and safer? public safety as well, for other uses that are a benefit to the community, on top of having police officers in an increased police presence. supervisor chu: thank you. mr. goldberg, can i ask -- is there something i am missing with these tides of uses? and it would require the officers to be cut -- to be kept closer to their beats. as doing that, they would have to stay in the street to be better visible supervisor chu: chu what does that -- better. supervisor chu: is that a

function? visibility? >> you could get them off the street in inclement weather. but it depends on the circumstances, how close they are to the substation in a place where they're trying to do and we would be used for office type functions and we have all the kinds of things that might be a part of the office returning to the station. >> >> try to do that.

it was a mobile home. >> can you speak to that experience? >> the van is that when it is plot to their, you cannot be his and this is really for emergencies or special moment all those kinds of things that bill be put into the station. supervisor chu: is there a reason why we would not want to

continue purses this investment? that is what i am asking. >> the reason he would now want you that and throughout rest of the city. and if you have a van and throw in a function to be like a substation, we would have to make this level of investment $705,000. we are currently looking at technology to address these issues and understand if there is something that did the work in the interim. -- >> in was used as a tristate present. to a degree, we and a two or

three year commitment to parking the van there is not something you probably wish to pursue. supervisor chu: is there some reason it is not secure, besides the fact it is out of service somewhere else? >> it was parked there, but the issue did not move it. the issue was directed to be utilized as a command post for emergencies and other special events. we lost that presence on sixth street. supervisor chu: let's open this up for public comment. are there members of the public who wish to speak on this item? i have a few cards.

[unintelligible] >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is henry. before the march of the redevelopment agency i was on the advisory board to the redevelopment agency. back then it was unanimous, we wanted to have this substation in this area. this is ground zero. not only that, for many that coming to san francisco, it has been tough on businesses to have less going on there, going about the commands, blocking the view and the street traffic and so forth.

we really want this substation to open up. also, comfort. for business it will make it better. it is a great thing that we're going have. we have been waiting for this for so long. this will have an impact on the sheer presence, i think that the mayor and the supervisors response to the solution that goes through, i understand we are in a financial quandary where we are. in that area we will be getting those coming in and eventually getting some money back from

that. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. in the project manager with urban solutions. i am here to support the approval of the least amendment to the ball when house and see the substation finally built at 76 street. the residents in the business community on the sixth street corridor, we are sorry to have learned of the demise allocated to the substation billed out. that is all very helpful, but we have finally gone ahead with construction. a few of them have sent me letters and messages on the record saying for dr. final, the

owner of the barber college, and the electrician [unintelligible] all of those businesses located there, emphasizing the presence being crucial to deterring crime in the area. it would greatly facilitated -- it would greatly facilitate responsiveness in the sixth street corridor and central market. the substation would be here to stay, and it can be parked there for a minute. thank you so very much for supporting this.

>> hello, in the co-founder of huckleberry bicycles. thank you for your time, supervisors. in support of getting a police substation as quickly as possible, it does not make for a stronger police presence along market street and 63. be opened in november everywhere in aerospace the weeks before that. i want to make it clear, it was easy to decide to open up a shop on market street. despite being the main cycling thoroughfare and what we thought was a great potential for a bike shop, it was kindly known as a

dangerous place to be. it was called bold and crazy. most of them are still apprehensive about working there. we understand the issues on market street being compounded. a few things, mainly violence. i wanted to point out a quarter of jones and market, where we get solicited for them all the time.

i have flood of tourists in the store with huge fights breaking out. thank you. supervisor chu: next speaker. >> my name is [unintelligible] down on six for 29 years in a few months. it has not been easy every day. you get people from all over the world. they love the hotel, but they always complain, is it safe? it is just outside, where the problem is. unsafe, do not go there.

giving 14 cent to the city in the center, something has to be done, like the law should be enforced. we have to do everything else in the hotel. but the station in, we will do our job. thank you. supervisor chu: thank you. next speaker, please. >> in the executive director of community housing partnerships. as someone who has just moved to the corner of jones and market, i felt compelled to speak. i wanted to let the committee

know that we needed much more than a police substation. more than bringing merchants, we need a sense of safety to the mid market area. from an urban planning perspective, this could really help moving the safety pedestrian crossing foreign. the amount of hanging out and street traffic taking place, providing more funds to the mayor's office and work force development will also be what helps. the police substation is not going to put an end to the problems plaguing mid market and sixth street. the community has a partnership that we are entering and we feel employees are safe, but we need to work and better street skating and things like that. thank you.

supervisor chu: thank you. next speaker? >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am one of the co-owners omg bar and lounge -- bar and lounge. i relate to what the owner of the bicycle shop said. crazy, brave, all of that. we basically came on 63 because there were positive changes happening. we realize that it is challenging, but if the crime numbers need to be controlled, a continuous and consistent presence on sixth street will definitely make a huge difference.

a mobile van will not make the same impact. the constant presence of sf pd police on the street will. when other solutions showed us the space last year, there was a promise of a substation across the street. that was one of the major factors why be decided to open the business on sixth street. i can confidently say that if there is a substation in reality, more businesses should be encouraged to come into the neighborhood. one other thing that i believe is an issue in the substation, it will be staffed during the day, but we hope someday in the future it will also be staffed at night. i encourage supervisors to vote for the substation.

supervisor chu: does anyone else wish to make a public comment? seeing no one, public comment is closed. supervisor kim: i want to thank the individuals that came out for public comment today. i think that the substation is an investment in the market community and it should be viewed that way. i know that for one particular neighborhood here in san francisco, i agree with some of the comments that were made already. i do not believe the substation by itself will make the neighborhood safer, but it is the myriad of things that happened, like chp moving to market in june, and other businesses being attracted to the mid market sixth street area. all of these things are important components. i think that part of attracting

more businesses, be they small businesses or larger companies that have moved into mid market, it is showing that the city is invested in public safety. when those pieces come together, we will keep the use of all that and start to see a stronger community. cook clearly we will try to strengthen the residents living in the south of the community as well. i know that many of our partners are doing that already. i know that the supervisor has proposed introducing something like a five peace education program like we have in the sheriff's department. the last thing i will say is that actually having the asset p d developing meaningful relationships, that will only be met if we have a presence on sixth street.

there is a big difference between tenants who hang out of six street because they live in cramped units without common areas for open spaces, and people committing low-level drug offenses. having police officers on the ground, they will be able to distinguish between those types of activity and enforce what is happening in the area, developing relationships with individuals who are on the streets because that is the neighborhood they lived in. i am hopeful about this partnership. there are a lot of things that need to be done to encourage public safety in the neighborhood. there are multiple components that need to come together. supervisor chu: thank you, supervisor. supervisor avalos? supervisor avalos: in the

station area along broad street, we do not have a strong police presence. i believe the substation is an unstaffed -- it might even be close down. i am just concerned that you can actually have an argument that the substation is going to be worthwhile, because the bill be an increased police presence in the community. we have active plans about how we are going with a police presence in terms of creating relationships and merchants. i think it is one component in creating safety along the sixth street corridor. i would tend to agree with the merchants that want to see that sense of safety. they believe that a police presence can provide it. also, the testimony from gail

about there being a lot of ways to create a better sense of safety, that is one that does help with that as well. having a presence of services can provide access in hope for people in the neighborhood. i do want to honor the supervisor who wants to see these resources coming to the neighborhood. i will be in favor of this. i do not necessarily see such resources coming to my district, and i have to express that. i am hoping that there is recognition that we can think about, with different needs

around the city and how we apply resources to handle these different needs in different parts of san francisco. i am hoping that that can be looked at as we go down the line with resources and in the city budget. supervisor chu: thank you very much. i wanted to recognize supervisor," -- supervisor campos, who is also here with us. supervisor kim: i am more than happy to co-sponsor a hearing, and i know i am advocating for a neighborhood that i represent, but i want to make sure that if there are neighborhoods seeing the same level of crime as sixth street and market, this area is such a visible part of san francisco in terms of getting those resources, those substations that we have here, i want to make sure they are