>> welcome to our city's newest park, the park at 5m. welcome to our city's newest hub of creativity, commerce, and community. welcome, everyone, to 5m. [applause] >> this is an exciting day that has been more than a decade in the making, but it's just the start of great things to come for the people who live, work, and spend time here at 5m. when we broke ground, we were surrounded by four acres of mostly parking lots. today, brookfield properties is proud to announce the completion of its development commitment. the first is the parks at 5m. about the size of five

basketball courts, this is the city's largest privately owned open space. it has been wonderful to see just the immediate reaction that we've had to this open space from the neighbors that have come in today. this stage directly connects to the dempster building. children from all ages will be able to play in our play area, which is right behind the camline building, and our lawn areas, as well. dog owners used to walk their dogs here in the parking lot because there were so few places to go. now, they can chase their tails in an area made just for them. this here is 415 natoma. it is a 25-story office building designed by k.t.f.

5m opens into a courtyard of terrace spaces. to my left, right here, is the george apartment building, with 302 rental units, which is now leasing. it includes 98 middle-income units, including housing units for seniors and formerly homeless individuals. finally, the two historic buildings were also renovated: the camline building that is earmarked for retail and nonprofit uses, and the

dempster building. new tenants, programming, and residents will bring energy to the site. beginning this spring, community programming for the parks at 5m will feature a mix of events, performances, art, and food curated by brookfield properties. our long-standing community members will be on this property. off the grid will return with popular weekday lunch markets. cast will take its programming outside of the walls through that door and host a series of arts and cultural programming featuring its tenants and partners. we are incredibly proud to have worked with so many individuals and organizations to help create this transformation. this is a testament to our sponsors and collaborators, and we are very, very happy to have

completed this project without a delay through the pandemic, and it's a great testament to the tenacity of our team that we were able to do that. residents are moving into the george. we have some residents right now. the dempcenter is now home to push dance company and women's audio commission, and soon, we'll be home to restauranteurs, nonprofits, and community. i'd also like to thank ann topier, judson true, former supervisor jane kim, and laura

cressemata, and the architects for their incredible design of 415 natoma, among others. and of course, i'd like to thank our incredible team, current and past. a special thank you to mayor breed for your support of 5m, your leadership and relentless efforts to create more housing for all income levels in the city. we appreciate your efforts to help all people of ages, background, and income in the city. please welcome mayor london breed. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: hello, everyone. i am so happy to be here, to

see the almost completion of this beautiful project, 5m, which has been going on, jack told me, for 14 years, and we just broke ground in 2019, and here we are, just a few years later, and look at the magic that can be created as a result of us coming together to push projects like this in san francisco. i can't even believe it. i was here for the topping off ceremony of the george. not the george in washington, d.c., the george in san francisco, and when i think about what this project means to this community, the fact that we have this open space, this building that supports artists, and artists performing here, the community, the people, this project and what it will do for this community will be something that we can

all be proud of. we've worked really hard to ensure that this project, we worked hard to make sure that we implemented neighborhood preference. now, when i was on the board of supervisors, we got neighborhood preference passed. it's been very challenging to implement because of other state and federal laws, but we got it done, and as a result of our work, 40% of the affordable units built in this project will go to people who live here first. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: and before neighborhood preference, that was not happening, and the community was asked to support projects like this, and they fought for projects like this, and now, they're a part of projects like this. and i see rudy walking through

the crowd from united playas, like they're coming to do something on the stage. they put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this project, facing opposition to this community, and united playas fought to make sure this happened. and none of us could have thought that the pandemic would set us back, but the 1200 people who helped to make this project possible, their jobs continued as a result of our work, and they got this project done. just imagine if we didn't do that. just imagine the number of people who would not have housing because we delayed it due to the pandemic.

we knew that we could build housing safely, and that's exactly what we did. and now, as a result of waiting five years, this project, after breaking ground in 2019, is done. what year is this? i keep forgetting, because i don't count 2020 anymore. i stip that year, but the work that we're continuing to do and to revitalize this downtown corridor, we are trying to make this feel like a neighborhood, that there's a dog run and there's open space, and there's family that can interact with our senior. there's so much amazing things

that is happening in san francisco, and this is a testament to what happens when we work together with the private sector, with nonprofits, with the board of supervisors, with my office. anything is possible, and my commitment to eliminate bureaucracy is someone that i will continue to push for so that bureaucracies do not stop projects like this. people are counting on us to make it easier to do business in san francisco. to cass, to united playas, and

i know that rudy is going to work hard to make sure that filipino seniors are going to get in this housing. they said mayor, don't forget about us. when we get through down the street with that housing, we are going to make sure that they are up there. last but not least, before i leave, i want to take a moment to really recognize someone who has been in the news world for over 30 years. i remember watching him on ktvu when i was a kid. today is rob ross' last day on

ktvu, and we just want to let you know how much we appreciate you, your objective reporting, your commitment to san francisco, sending your kids through the public school system, your love for the city, but also, your ability to bring the news to us in a way that we would understand and sometimes be concerned, but more importantly, be excited and feeling good about san francisco, so we appreciate your reporting. we wish you a wonderful retirement. thank you so much, rob, for your work in san francisco. and with that, thank you so much all for being here, and i think i want to turn it over to -- i'll turn it back -- okay. supervisor haney? i'll introduce supervisor haney. so supervisor haney and i have been working around the clock, sometimes fighting with each other, but more importantly,

making sure when the time comes to do the important work, that we are aligned, that we work together, because we know that people are counting on us to deliver for them. so i really enjoyed working with them on this project, but a number of housing in his district. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the supervisor for district 6, matt haney. [applause] >> supervisor haney: all right. it's on. well, first of all, welcome, everyone. this is a beautiful day to open what is an incredible beautiful space, and i want to thank mayor breed and her team. she has been working so hard to get more housing built in our city. she has a piece of legislation

called cars to houses, which turns areas like what used to be a parking lot, like what we have here, into housing, and seeing this transformed into a beautiful form of housing, this is what can happen when we listen to the community. thank you, brookfield, for the way that you've gone about this. we are here in the middle of the filipino cultural district, for a long time, the home of filipinos here in our city, and to be able to sit here and say that the filipino community, united playas, were a part of this since the beginning and helped to shape it is a huge testament to what is possible in our city.

contrary to what people may say, san franciscans want more housing. they want more housing. they just want to make sure it's housing they can access. they want to make sure it's housing that includes community and open space. they want to make sure when we build housing, that we do it with them and for them, and that's what we've done in this project. this is a very happy day in our city when we're building more housing. it's an even happier day for our city when we're building more housing, and for the south of market neighborhood, you deserve to have more housing in your communities, but you deserve to have open space, you deserve to have places for young people to come and grow, and know this is a place that they can live here and thrive here for many years to come. i don't see her here, but i want to thank my predecessor,

jane kim, for her leadership. she really stormed this through the process, and i get to be here to espouse what it would mean for our future, so thank you to everyone who was a part of that, to our city departments, rudy's here, to all of the architects, the funders, to the hearst corporation, thank you. the future of this neighborhood will be bright, and this will be an important central part of what makes it so. thank you. >> thank you so much. i'm jocelyn, community engager for brookfield properties, and

i grew up just a block away from 5m. 5m was created from a decade of partnerships with the community and the city, including organizations that truly make a difference in soma, and those partnerships made this project possible. those partnerships made 5m better. they are relationships steeped in the history of this neighborhood, especially the filipino community, and because of community participate, we learned what was important to the neighborhood. it's why there's a playground right around the corner, adorned with screens inspired by filipino textile patterns. it's why we provided support for the filipino cultural heritage district. neighborhood incubators, senior housing, women's programs, and

youth in arts and cultural programs. 5ms community d.n.a. was created by groups like united playas and cass, and for those members of the open space advisory board, which was created to ensure that we rely on community input, thank you. we built a park that made sense for the neighborhood now and in the future. this is a special day. these relationships will continue to help us provide programming for the parks and ideas moving forward. thank you to our partners for your passion, commitment, and per severance, and your continued partnership. one of our great partners, cass, the community arts stabilization trust, and you

see the building right behind me, they are housed right there, each day, they make it possible for more arts and artists, creative entrepreneurs, and arts and cultural organizations to continue to inspire us here in the city and the bay area. their inspiration of arts and culture in the dempster building is critical to the development of arts in the building. so please welcome their executive director. [applause] >> i have to put on these sexy reading glasses. thank you, jocelyn. as she said in her

introduction, her very kind introduction, i'm the executive director of community arts stabilization trust, otherwise known as c.a.s.t. i want to thank the mayor, supervisor haney, brookfield properties, and the entire neighborhood for your support. c.a.s.t. is a living laboratory that creates permanent, i said permanent, affordable space for artists, creative entrepreneurs, and arts and culture organizations in one of the most expensive regions to live and work in the u.s. we use financing and structural models to make and steward space to secure opportunities for the future and the present. we believe, as i think do you, arts and culture play a role in preserving the fabric of a neighborhood. arts and culture such as

women's audio mission, w.a.m., push dance, who you just saw open the ceremonies, have a new home right behind you in the dempster building. they are pushing the boundaries of creativity and equity while also creating community cohesion. c.a.s.t. wants to make sure that artists have an opportunity to grow in the community. now you may be thinking, what additional new programs are happening, so let me give you a little preview. among the prospective developments this year are a community mural for the building's exterior and a

chance for the arts and culture neighborhood to create a new name that captures the resilience and energy of the region. we want to thank hewlett, foundation for the arts, start small, mobile coin foundation. it is this day that reinforces all of our commitment to the arts, to bolster our commitment to this area, the bay area. thank you. [applause] >> and now, another community partner that we have. i'd like to introduce rudy corpus, jr., a long time leader for youth advocacy and has been

a resident of soma, whose whole family has been here for decades. an organization that is rooted into ensuring safe places for youth and young children to shine. >> we here, y'all. first of all, i would like to say thank you to 5m, brookfield, the hearst family, london breed. you know, i'm from the city just like you from the city. i'm born and raised in this neighborhood, so when they asked us to come, we walked here. and when we're done, we going to walk back because guess what? we belong here. this is our neighborhood, this is our community. our motto is it takes the hood to save the hood.

what does that mean? that means all of us collectively, the mayor, the homeless people, the drug dealers, everyone in this community makes collectively this neighborhood happen. now, one important thing that i want to say is the mayor -- the late mayor, ed lee, who was a big -- who made a big impact in this process of happening, may he rest in peace. he was there and fought, and if there's one thing we like, you know that, london, we like to fight. one thing that i understand and i know about community building with one another, that we can only be stronger when we work together, so when you see all of us as part of coming together, these are the things that happen. this right here was a parking lot that was dilapidated.

it had rats, it had homelessness, it had nothing up in here. so for the project to be built and be full of people that you see in front of you now is a win-win situation, so i want to see this lastly. what made this project happen was the tremendous women that made this happen. this is women's month, right? march 1. like misha, like carla, like jocelyn, like jane kim. there's so many women -- like alexa, who used to work for 5m. there's so many women who helped make this happen, that you should see the strength of the women that helped make this

right here? we're here, and we're going to continue to be here. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, rudy, and thank you to all of our speakers. we're looking forward to seeing all of you on thursday, march 3, at 4:00, for our larger grand opening celebration event. i'd like to call my fellow speakers up to the stage in order for our ceremonial ribbon cutting photo. if i could have my colleague jocelyn step up to the stage, and then moi and rudy. supervisor matt haney, as soon as he's done with the photo, and then, mayor london breed, as well.

>> mayor breed: i am san francisco mayor london breed. welcome to the state of the city address. [applause] >> mayor breed: i am happy to have all of you here today. it is really great to be outdoors in person. the mask mandates, vaccine mandates are all gone. if you take pictures answer post. make sure you put disclaimer we removed it in san francisco so i don't get beat up by folk on the

internet. thank you and welcome. i want to start by thanking all workers who helped us navigate the latest surge. nurses, police officers, paramedics, educators, all incredible people who kept this city going. [applause] over the past two years and months, so many of them have been working over time to take care of the city. thank you, thank you, thank you. you know, sometimes the devastating impacts of the last two years of covid can be hard. this is in 1989 when freeways fell or 1906 when buildings and neighborhoods burned to the ground. they are deep. we see it in the struggles to simply get through the day. struggles with mental health.

especially in kids, we see it in their eyes. empty downtown offices and for lease signs in union square. half filled hotels. we see it in those struggling with addiction on our streets. we cannot sugar coat it. we have work to do. our recovery will not be easy. it will not be quick. it is coming. it is coming. san francisco is coming back! (applause). as we look ahead to the decisions about where to take this city, we need to listen to our residents. last month voters of the city sent a very clear message. they sept a mess -- they sent a message we must do better by our

children. they sent a message while big ideas are important. those must be built on a solid foundation. they must be built on the basics like a well-run school system that puts kids first. government that delivers on the essential services. basics like accountability and competence. during our covid response, we delivered on the basics. government, community and residents all came together to protect our collective health to save lives. we protected our hospitals, nursing homes. we quickly and efficiently popped up testing and vaccination sites. we delivered food to seniors. i want be to acknowledge jeff

lawson who privately helped to deliver food to the seniors, thank you so much, jeff, for your work. [applause]. we did the basic and we did them well. we showed we could deliver on bigger ideas. we transformed the streets to outdoor dining. we helped guaranteed income with those impacted by the pandemic. we experimented to allow people to gather outdoors. some met neighbors for the first time ever. now those covid experiments are transforming our city. we made share spaces permanent for restaurants. we have six guaranteed income programs with more to come. in golden gate park, jfk is on the way to being a permanent

car-free space. [applause]. that proofs we can work hard on the basics while pushing the big ideas. that is how we kept people healthy and safe this past two years. however, right now we are dealing with another kind of challenge. right now too many people across the city don't feel safe. asian seniors are fearful of leaving home. tenderloin families are living with random gun ideas. homeowners are fortifying garages after another break in. sweeping up broken glass and paints up graffiti on a regular basis. these are complicated problems

with twisted roots reaching well below the surface level solutions. again, we have the tools to deliver both the basics and the big ideas. first, we need law enforcement to keep people safe, to make arrests to hold people accountable and to support victims. right now police staffs is at crisis level. over 1630 police officers at 250 fewer officers fewer than three years and 540 below what we need according to independent analysis based on a growing population as you can see right here. we do not have police staffing to meet needs of major city as we welcome back workers and visitors. fixing this starts with building the police academy classes.

to those who say we don't need the police. i say listen to the residents. they are speaking louder than ever. no, not for return to the past like when i was growing up. there was a deep mistrust between the community and police. even then we needed police to protect victims of violence and help us live our lives, not undermine us in our own community. today we are in a different place. while we had more work to do, our police department has embraced reforms over the last five years. leading to fewer use of force incidents and police shootings and rapidly diversifying the department so it reflects the community it serves.

[applause]. >> we have also made progress on big ideas. providing solid alternatives to policing through street crisis response team that didn't exist two years ago. it is now out on the streets 24/7 responding to calls to help those struggling with mental illness. we have community ambassadors program consisting every tired police officers in our downtown and tourist areas. we have multi-racial community guardian teams patrolling neighborhoods. we have the private sector helping. i want to thank chris larson for the work he has done to provide a lot of support around cameras and a number of neighborhood corridors to help small businesses. thank you so much, chris, for your work in the private sector to help make our city safe. we continue to make historic

investments in our dream keeper initiative and opportunities for all. these are programs that recognize the root causes of crime. the root causes of crime are driven by poverty. decades of disinvestment, by systematic racism. these are programs that will heal our communities with housing, mental health, education. job training and economic empowerment. that is how we get back to serving the community. let's be the national model for reform, for alternatives, and for safety. we can do it all and we don't have to choose. [applause]. you know, there is a lot of noise about what is happening in our city. you see it in the headlines, in

the right wing media. they love to talk about san francisco. you see it on social media. one video takes off as if it is telling the whole truth about who we are. i know it is challenging with all of the noise to understand what is happening. it is easy to fixate on the problems. i am focused on the problems. today i want to talk about what is possible. hope. hope for a better future for our city. that is what i see right here on this water front. people all over the world. they know the story of the famous waterfront from the golden gate bridge to fisherman's wharf, embarcadero to the ferry buildings that

welcomes commuters from across the bay and visitors from all over the world. under the bay bridge to the ballpark where bonds and buster posey became legends. today it stretches south to mission bay where they play in a beautiful new home built by the manneds of the holwork force -- by the hands of the local work force. [applause]. what is happening right here as we emerge from this pandemic is a sign of hope for san francisco. now, i want to take a moment to take us back. i talk a lot about my grandmother, what she did for me, how her spirit and body what this city is capable of doing for people. today i want to talk about my grandfather, willie brown. not that willie brown. he is not the grandfather. my grandfather was a world war ii veteran.

when word got out to the south that jobs were available, he with so many others moved our families west. not because they believed that racism wouldn't follow. but because of what this city represents. a better opportunity. ny grandfather found a union job as longshoremen working alongside a generation of workers building ships and repairing machinery. they were good paying jobs that led to development of freedomnantly black working neighborhoods in bayview and filmore and lake view. the truth is this city and neighborhood where we are today always represented an opportunity for those seeking a better future. our waterfront has been a beacon

to newcomers and immigrants for nearly two centuries. that is the spirit where we stand today, a place where hope grows and hard work. look around us. today's waterfront is a beacon for jobs, housing, economic opportunity. in this area in the coming years, 7,000 homes will be built as part of three water front projects alone. here at mission rock, pier 70 and at the power station. [applause]. these will be diverse neighborhoods with new housing and all income level including 2000 affordable homes. those are coming after 6,000 homes have been built in mission bay in just the last 20 years. new neighborhoods, new parks, open spaces all along the

waterfront throughout the dogpatch. new offices and storefronts. this doesn't happen in a city that is dying. it happens in a city that is growing and thriving. as we grow we are building affordable homes for people who live right here in the southeast, thanks to the neighborhood preference policy. [applause]. we are creating jobs for the people who live next door in sunnydale and the bayview. thanks to city build and local hire. i see my girls right there. in september we announced we are doubling the size of city build, training twice as many people to get the good paying union jobs that are available. these are not just statistics. these are people. let me give you an example. right here in mission rock,

thanks to women and families first initiative and partnership with the giants. thank you for being here today. we train the first all women construction class. (applause). and provide support for child care. okay? i attended the graduation at mission rock academy and seeing those women made me so proud. hearing those stories. that is why i do this job. today we have three women here from that class. they all started in different places. anna was a nanny and caregiver. militia was doing temp work. they all wanted something more.

we got all g for the city built graduate, too. anna wanted to learn how people work together to create big things. alisha wants to make her daughter proud. twin peaks looking out wondering how to be part of that big beautiful city. all three of them are building what is behind me with good union jobs and bright futures. [applause]. someday alisha's daughter will stand here and look at these buildings and say my mom and her

friends built that. we are not just building homes and offices. we are building lives that is what is happening in san francisco. [applause]. the waterfront has so many stories. it has stories about environmental justice. the power plant, once stood a mile south from here. a gas power plant polluting the air that the residents of the southeast were breathing asthma, heart are disease. we don't the history. two generations of community activists and former leaders like the city attorney and supervisor maxwell and mayor willie brown. that is power plant that was shut down. now a new story. a whole new neighborhood is being built there with new parks, streets, homes.

a stretch of water front open to the public for the first time in over 150 years. [applause]. where smoke once was all over the neighborhood, children will play. that is what is happening in san francisco. [applause]. you know, some love the chatter about businesses abandoning our city, leaving california. we have our challenges ahead. again, look around. historic investments in our city right here. just down at 16th street is the exchange. commercial office building purchased last year for over $1 billion. large companies are renewing and expanding leases in downtown and south of market.

right now this month so many companies are returning to the office. because they are invested in this city. this is not a story about commerce fleeing the city. this is a story about confidence in what lies ahead. will it be different than it was? of course. this water front today is different than it once was, too. in fact, it is better. look behind me at what is being built right here. mission rock. one of those buildings will be affordable housing. another is dedicated to life sciences. the third is a future headquarters of visa on what used to be a parking lot. that is the nature of city. [applause]. we adore and we adapt.

no, san francisco today is not san francisco 100 years ago or even 50 years ago. we maintain our values and we grow stronger by learning from the past not simply repeating it. our culture of innovation lives on the waterfront with u.c.s.f. and the world class research to help us navigate this pandemic. the reason be the first omicron case in the countries was identified in san francisco. it wasn't because we were first to get it. it is because the researchers at u.c.s.f. were the first to find it that is what is happening. tech companies making groundbreaking discoveries every day in san francisco. waterfront is a place for families. look at the san francisco bay

trail, india basin. at mission rock there will soon be a playground for kids to play. [applause]. finally, the central subway will be better connected to the waterfront and the bayview with downtown and chinatown. the beautiful new station. strengthening the connections between long divided communities. that is what i see. housing, jobs, environmental justice, technology, investments, innovation and parks and open space is what is happening in san francisco. [applause]. that is the work we need to do all over this city. right now across the state cities are wrestling with the need for more housing. they are looking for ways to block new housing in-laws.

in san francisco we should be leaders in housing. we should be the city california looks to. let's be like san francisco. two years ago i set a goal of building at least 5,000 new homes per year. 2020, 450000, 2021, we built 4600. the only housing built right now are large projects like mission rock and the pier 70. they need all houses sizes. not just south ease and soma but big neighborhoods across the entire city. to do that we have got to breakdown the obstructionism

that blocks housing at every single turn. [applause]. now you know i tried. i am not giving up. i tried inside city hall. we made incremental progress. on the big ideas like my housing charter amendment we have been blocked. we are going to the voters. change will happen to come from outside city hall. i am confident that it will. this november. because over and over i have heard from residents. they want be to cut bureaucracy and build more housing. we want future generations like alisha's daughter to live here when she is an adult. san francisco has shown that we can lead. we do it every day with work on climate change. when united states set as goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

california set the goal 2045. what do we do? we set the goal 2040. we don't play that. that is how we lead. with our climate action plan, we know how to get there. that is who we are. the climate policy isn't just about environmental programs. climate policy is also about housing policy and transportation. getting people out of their cars, creating dense walkable neighborhoods like we are believe right here -- we are building on this waterfront. that is climate action. completing bus rapid transit on van ness this month, finally. [applause]. it is going to open. as well as dozens of quick build projects to move buses faster. to create protected bike lanes across the city over the last

three years. that is climate action. san francisco can also be the economic leader our state needs us to be. we have to work at it. for too long we have taken our economic success for granted. we assumed the offices would be built. conventions would come to town and taxes with strome in. i have been talking to business leaders across the city. they love this city. they want to invest. they want to support. they want san francisco to grow and to succeed. when i put out the call to businesses about committing to bring workers back into the offices. so many answers. they are investing and they are returning. what i have heard most from business leaders just as i have heard from residents and small business owners is that we need

to continue to improve the conditions on our streets. our work in the tenderloin has attracted a lot of attention. supervisor haney was talking about the tl until we declared a state of emergency. it has fired a lot of debate. the main take away is that we cannot continue to accept things as they were. the families and the small businesses of the tenderloin deserve better. those on the streets deserve better. the people of the city deserve better. since 2018 we have added more safe shelter space in san francisco than we had at any time in the previous 20 years. two years ago we set an ambitious goal of adding 1500 new units of permanent

supportive housing. not only are we going to meet that goal. we are going to exceed it by 70%. that means 2500 new units of permanent supportive housing. that by far is the largest influx of new housing from homelessness this city has ever seen. now we must focus on doing the work to fill those homes faster we made progress to move to permanent housing with 1,000 people from the hotels not back on the streets but safely housed. to address the challenges of mental health and addiction, we are adding hundreds of treatment beds. working with community partners we will launch an overdose prevention program and the first drug sobering center in the

city's history. [applause]. but it can't just be about spending the resources. we have to balance it with accountability. i am done arguing if it is okay for people to remain on the streets when we have a place for them to go because it is not. it just isn't. to be honest, there are some folks who cannot or will not do what is safe for themselves or for others. we have to be honest about the need to deal with those struggling with mental illness. we need to make serious changes to our state law ifs. i am working with other mays across california and members of the legislature to reform mental health laws to better serve our city and entire state. this is not just happening in san francisco.

finally going back to where we started today. we have to do better for families in the city. we have to give back to putting our kids first. soon i will announce the new members of the board of education. as part of this decision which is really one of the hardest decisions i have ever had to make. i have been meeting with families to hear what they want for their children, what they need from our schools. i got to tell you. it was heart breaking to hear their stories and what they have been through. kids who once were vibrant and eager learners withdrawn. learning loss and mental illness, challenges that they are all experiencing. our public school kids getting less behind -- left behind as

private schools begin to rebound. i know no single appointment to an elected body is going to fix all of that. it is going to take years of work. that is why we recently announced our children and family recovery plan. the long-term strategy to improve access to the services we do have and expand the programs that are working to make a difference for families. it is really important that we support and protect our children because when we better serve our young people, when we invest in them, take care of them, treat all kids like they are our kids, we create a better future for all of us and for them, too. (applause). for two years, we have had to

think about our lives and our city in a totally different way. getting back won't be easy. this shift won't be immediate. we are moving forward. we lifted the indoor mask mandate. today we announced we are ending vaccine mandates for businesses. you guys all seem very enthusiasm about that. i look forward to going to a club to have a good time without my mask. [applause]. it is time. it is time to open up our eyes. it is time to open up our city. it is time to enjoy our lives after everything we have experienced to see not just the challenges we faced but the opportunities before us. to feel pride in what our city has done and can do.

the first in the country to shut down. we saw one of the lowest death rates in the country and highest vaccination rates. we did that. san francisco did that. [applause]. now it is up to each of us to harness that pride, to be motivated to make important change and decisions in city hall to take action in our communities. to tell our stories. just the other day we got an e-mail from a visitor named brittany who had a lay over at sfo and wanted to explore san francisco. her friends told her san francisco is not a safe place for you. brittany said, girl, i am going to party in san francisco. she found out that her friends were wrong. she met two of our welcome

ambassadors terrence and joel. she found out what the best cable car routes were to see lombard street. she was recommended to places to eat that were great san francisco restaurants and given directions to the golden gate bridge. they helped give her an experience that inspired her and left a lasting memory. they helped create her own story, a true story of san francisco. that is who we can be. a city that tells our own story. we are a city that reaches into our own communities to connect people to incredible opportunities. we are a city that proudly draws dreamers and seekers from everywhere. people come for love, opportunity, escape the past, build a better future. they come to make a difference in their lives and in the world. they come even briefly for a

moment of magic. they come because when voting rights are under attack across the country, we deliver ballot to every single voter that is registered. with paid postage. they come because we would never ever accept the law like don't say gay. unbelievable. in this city we not only say gay. we sing it loud and proud all year long. [applause]. they come because when abortion rights are under attack. san francisco says we not only protect women's rights but with a woman mayor, speaker, vice

president we put them in charge. [applause]. so next time when someone asks what is happening in san francisco, you tell them that. you tell them that this city will rise to meet our challenges day after day, relentless in our effort and unyielding in our values. that is who we are. we are san francisco! we are loud. we are proud. we are hopeful. we are resilient, san francisco. let's tell them that. thank you. [applause].

>> restaurants will be open for take out only, but nonessential stores, like bars and gyms,

will close effective midnight tonight. [♪♪♪] >> my name is sharky laguana. i am a small business owner. i own a company called vandigo van rentals. it rents vans to the music industry. i am also a member of the small business commission as appointed by mayor breed in 2019. i am a musician and have worked as a professional musician and recording artist in the 90s. [♪♪♪] >> we came up in san francisco, so i've played at most of the

live venues as a performer, and, of course, i've seen hundreds of shows over the years, and i care very, very deeply about live entertainment. in fact, when i joined the commission, i said that i was going to make a particular effort to pay attention to the arts and entertainment and make sure that those small businesses receive the level of attention that i think they deserve. >> this is a constantly and rapidly changing situation, and we are working hard to be aggressive to flatten the curve to disrupt the spread of covid-19. >> when the pandemic hit, it was crystal clear to me that this was devastating to the music industry because live venues had to completely shutdown. there was no way for them to

open for even a single day or in limited capacity. that hit me emotionally as an artist and hit me professionally, as well as a small business that caters to artists, so i was very deeply concerned about what the city could do to help the entertainment committee. we knew we needed somebody to introduce some kind of legislation to get the ball rolling, and so we just started texting supervisor haney, just harassing him, saying we need to do something, we need to do something. he said i know we need to do something, but what do we do? we eventually settled on this idea that there would be an independent venue recovery fund. >> clerk: there are 11 ayes. >> president walton: thank you. without objection, this resolution is passed unanimously. >> and we were concerned for

these small mom-and-pop businesses that contribute so much to our arts community. >> we are an extremely small venue that has the capacity to do extremely small shows. most of our staff has been working for us for over ten years. there's very little turnover in the staff, so it felt like family. sharky with the small business commission was crucial in pestering supervisor haney and others to really keep our industry top of mind. we closed down on march 13 of 2020 when we heard that there was an order to do so by the mayor, and we had to call that show in the middle of the

night. they were in the middle of their sound check, and i had to call the venue and say, we need to cancel the show tonight. >> the fund is for our live music and entertainment venues, and in its first round, it will offer grants of at least $10,000 to qualifying venues. these are venues that offer a signature amount of live entertainment programming before the pandemic and are committed to reopening and offering live entertainment spaces after the pandemic. >> it's going to, you know, just stave off the bleeding for a moment. it's the city contributing to helping make sure these venues are around, to continue to be part of the economic recovery for our city. >> when you think about the venues for events in the city, we're talking about all of

them. some have been able to come back adaptively over the last year and have been able to be shape shifters in this pandemic, and that's exciting to see, but i'm really looking forward to the day when events and venues can reopen and help drive the recovery here in san francisco. >> they have done a study that says for every dollar of ticket sales done in this city, $12 goes to neighboring businesses. from all of our vendors to the restaurants that are next to our ven sues and just so many other things that you can think of, all of which have been so negatively affected by covid. for this industry to fail is unthinkable on so many levels. it's unheard of, like, san francisco without its music scene would be a terribly

dismal place. >> i don't know that this needs to be arrest -- that there needs to be art welfare for artists. we just need to live and pay for our food, and things will take care of themselves. i think that that's not the given situation. what san francisco could do that they don't seem to do very much is really do something to support these clubs and venues that have all of these different artists performing in them. actually, i think precovid, it was, you know, don't have a warehouse party and don't do a gig. don't go outside, and don't do this. there was a lot of don't, don't, don't, and after the pandemic, they realized we're a big industry, and we bring a lot of money into this city, so they need to encourage and hope these venues. and then, you know, as far as people like me, it would be nice if you didn't only get

encouraged for only singing opera or playing violin. [♪♪♪] >> entertainment is a huge part of what is going to make this city bounce back, and we're going to need to have live music coming back, and comedy, and drag shows and everything under the sun that is fun and creative in order to get smiles back on our faces and in order to get the city moving again. [♪♪♪] >> venues serve a really vital function in society. there aren't many places where people from any walk of life, race, religion, sexuality can come together in the same room and experience joy, right?

experience love, experience anything that what makes us human, community, our connective tissues between different souls. if we were to lose this, lose this situation, you're going to lose this very vital piece of society, and just coming out of the pandemic, you know, it's going to help us recover socially? well, yeah, because we need to be in the same room with a bunch of people, and then help people across the country recover financially. >> san francisco art recovery fund, amazing. it opened yesterday on april 21. applications are open through may 5. we're encouraging everyone in the coalition to apply. there's very clear information on what's eligible, but that's basically been what our coalition has been advocating for from the beginning. you know, everyone's been supportive, and they've all been hugely integral to this program getting off the ground.

you know, we found our champion with supervisor matt haney from district six who introduced this legislation and pushed this into law. mayor breed dedicated $1.5 million this fund, and then supervisor haney matched that, so there's $3 million in this fund. this is a huge moment for our coalition. it's what we've been fighting for all along. >> one of the challenges of our business is staying on top of all the opportunities as they come back. at the office of oewd, office of economic and workforce development, if you need to speak to somebody, you can find people who can help you navigate any of the available programs and resources. >> a lot of blind optimism has kept us afloat, you know, and there's been a lot of reason for despair, but this is what keeps me in the business, and

this is what keeps me fighting, you know, and continuing to advocate, is that we need this and this is part of our life's blood as much as oxygen and food is. don't lose heart. look at there for all the various grants that are available to you. some of them might be very slow to unrao, and it might seem like too -- unroll, and it might seem like it's too late, but people are going to fight to keep their beloved venues open, and as a band, you're going to be okay. [♪♪♪]

>> everything we do in the tenderloin, we urban outfit. here, this gives us an opportunity to collaborate with other agencies and we become familiar with how other agencies operate and allow us to be more flexible and get better at what we depo in the line of work in this task. >> sometimes you go down and it's hard to get up. so we see ourselves as providing an opportunity for the unhoused to get up. and so i really believe that when they come here and they've said it, this right here is absolutely needed. you can't ask for nothing better. >> the tenderloin is the stuff that ain't on the list of remedies, liked the spiritual connection to recovery and why would i? why would i recover? what have i got to live for? things like that. and sharing the stories. like i was homeless and just the team. and some people need that extra connection on why they can change their life or how they could. >> we have a lot of guests that will come in and say i would

like -- you know, i need help with shelter, food, and primary care doctor. and so here, that's three rooms down the hall. so if you book them, they get all of their needs taken care of in one go. this is an opportunity for us here in the tenderloin to come together, try out these ideas to see if we can put -- get -- connect people to services in a bayview. >> a lot discussion how residents in san francisco are displaced how businesses are displaced and there's not as much discussion how many nonprofits are displaced i think a general concern in the arts community is the testimony loss of performance spaces and venues no renderings for

establishes when our lease is up you have to deal with what the market bears in terms of of rent. >> nonprofits can't afford to operate here. >> my name is bill henry the executive director of aids passage l lp provides services for people with hispanics and aids and 9 advertising that fight for the clients in housing insurance and migration in the last two years we negotiated a lease that saw 0 rent more than doubled. >> my name is ross the executive directors of current pulls for the last 10 years at 9 and mission we were known for the projection of sfwrath with taking art and moving both a experiment art our lease expired our rent went from 5 thousand dollars to $10,000 a most.

>> and chad of the arts project pursue. >> the evolution of the orientation the focus on art education between children and patrol officer artist we offer a full range of rhythms and dance and theatre music theatre about in the last few years it is more and more difficult to find space for the program that we run. >> i'm the nonprofit manager for the mayor's office of economic workforce development one of the reasons why the mayor has invested in nonprofit displacement is because of the challenge and because nonprofits often commute technical assistance to understand the negotiate for a commercial lease. >> snooechlz is rob the executive director and co-founder of at the crossroads we want to reach the

disconnected young people not streets of san francisco for young adults are kicked out of the services our building was sold no 2015 they let us know they'll not renew our lease the last year's the city with the nonprofit displacement litigation program held over 75 nonprofits financial sanction and technical assistance. >> fortunate the city hesitate set aside funds for businesses facing increased rent we believable to get some relief in the form of a grant that helped us to cover the increase in rent our rent had been around $40,000 a year now $87,000 taylor's dollars a year we got a grant that covered 22 thousands of

that but and came to the minnesota street project in two people that development in the better streets plan project they saved us space for a nonprofit organization national anthem and turned out the northern california fund they accepted us into the real estate program to see if we could withstand the stress and after the program was in full swinging skinning they brought up the litigation fund and the grants were made we applied for that we received a one thousand dollars granted and that grant allowed us to move in to the space to finish the space as we needed it to furniture is for classes the building opened on schedule on march 18, 2016 and by july we were teaching classed here.

>> which we found out we were going to have to leave it was overwhelm didn't know anything about commercial real estate we suggested to a bunch of people to look at the nonprofits displacement mitigation program you have access to commercial real estate either city owned or city leased and a city lease space become available there is a $946,000 grant that is provided through the mayor's office of economic workforce development and that's going to go towards boulder the space covers a little bit less than half the cost it is critical. >> the purpose of the organization trust to stabilize the arts in san francisco working with local agency i go like the northern california platoon fund that helped to establish documents of our long track record of stvent and

working to find the right partner with the organization of our size and budget the opportunity with the purchase of property we're sitting in the former disposal house theatre that expired 5 to 10 years ago we get to operate under the old lease and not receive a rent increase for the next 5 to 7 years we'll renting $10,000 square feet for the next 5 to seven years we pay off the balance of the purpose of this and the cost of the renovation. >> the loophole will that is unfortunate fortunate we have buy out a reserve our organization not reduce the services found a way to send some of the reserves to be able to continue the serves we know our clients need them we were able to get relief when

was needed the most as we were fortunate to arrive that he location at the time, we did in that regard the city has been - we've had tremendous support from the mayor's office of economic workforce development and apg and helped to roommate the facade of the building and complete the renovation inside of the building without the sport support. >> our lease is for 5 years with a 5 year onyx by the city has an 86 year lease that made that clear as long as we're doing the work we've been we should be able to stay there for decades and decades. >> the single most important thing we know that is that meaningful. >> it has been here 5 months and even better than that we

could image. >> with the economic development have announced an initiative if ours is a nonprofit or know of a nonprofit looking for more resources they can go to the office of economic workforce development oewd.com slashing nonprofit and found out about the mayors nonprofit mitigation program and the sustainability initiative and find their information through technical assistance as much as how to get started with more fundraising or the real estate assistance and they can find my contact and reach out to me through the circles of the city through the

>> chair: good afternoon. i would like to call the march 8th meeting of the san francisco public utilities commission to order. madam, secretary, would you call the roll. [ roll call ]. >> clerk: this meeting is being held in person at san francisco city hall room 400 as authorized by the california section roll and the mayor's emergency proclamation. i would like to remind all individuals present and attending the meeting in person today that all health and safety protocols and building protocols must be adhered to at all times. this includes wearing a mask and no eating or