The Plaza 16 coalition hosted another inspiring and productive community meeting last evening at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church. Once again, the house was packed, and once again the message from residents and organizations from the community was clear, no more market-rate and luxury developments in the Mission District until affordable housing needs are met.
Last night’s meeting had the particular goal of uniting community based organizations in the Mission in the fight against Maximus Real Estate Partners’ proposed luxury development for 1979 Mission Street at the 16th/Mission BART Plaza. Members of the community and organization leaders spoke to the crowd calling for unity and insisting that community organizations not make their own deals with the developer, deals that might bring short-term financial benefit to the organization but have devastating and long-term impacts on the community they serve. Numerous organizations were represented and confirmed their support for the coalition’s demands.
Read Mission Local‘s account, “At Plaza 16 Meeting, Non Profit Opposition Builds.”
Top Five Reasons Community Orgs Should Oppose the Project
During the meeting Maria Zamudio of Causa Justa :: Just Cause recited the Top Five Reasons Community Organizations Should Oppose the Maximus Project:
- If the Maximus project is built, organizations would lose the client bases they serve due to their displacement.
- The Maximus project would trigger a further rise in evictions of residential and commercial tenants.
- The Maximus project would result in a loss of culture and character in the Mission, a poor/working class, lgbt, immigrant, Latino, and African American enclave
- The 16th/Mission Plaza would become an exclusive playground for higher income residents and push out communities of color and lower income.
- We need comprehensive planning in our community that takes into consideration the needs of the existing community. We need planning for people not for profit.
Thanks so much to everyone who joined us last evening and helped make it such an inspiring and successful event!
UPDATE: The San Francisco Bay Guardian has posted a story on the meeting as well:
Ranks of opposition to 16th and Mission development as Plaza 16 pushes forward.
