Former SF Mayor Questions Waterfront High-Rise Plan

In an op-ed printed in the San Francisco Chronicle, former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos raises new questions about the merits of the proposed 8 Washington high-rise project proposed for San Francisco’s historic waterfront.  As Mayor, Agnos made the final decision to tear down the Embarcadero Freeway that blighted and blocked the northeast waterfront for decades.  While controversial at the time, the elimination of the freeway sparked a revitalization of the waterfront by eliminating the walls and opening it up.

In his op-ed, former Mayor Agnos questions the “proposal to set aside one section of the waterfront for exclusive housing for the wealthiest and, in the process, create a 136-foot high wall on the Embarcadero’s edge – 80 feet higher than the original double deck freeway. It’s called 8 Washington.”  Instead, he urges city officials to back an alternative plan supported by a citywide coalition of neighborhood and community groups including THD that would generate more jobs and tax revenue through a mix of restaurants, retail, and recreation on the 8 Washington site and along the waterfront.

Read former Mayor Agnos’ op-ed by clicking here.

Read more about the proposed 8 Washington Project on THD’s Waterfront Committee page by clicking here.

Read the Latest Edition of The Semaphore

Download an electronic version of the latest edition of THD’s one and only quarterly magazine, The Semaphore, here:  Issue 197, Winter 2012: Grant Avenue Denizens

This edition profiles the artists, shop and gallery owners, poets and cafe-goers who inhabit Grant Avenue and features stories about how the historic Colombo Building was saved from the wrecking ball, what neighbors did to fix a dangerous MUNI shelter, and how artists and poets have banded together to save Coit Tower, and much more.

THD members receive a mailed copy of the Sempahore four times a year.  Become a THD member right now by clicking here:  http://www.thd.org/join-now/

Original Joe’s In North Beach Is Open!

Original Joe’s In North Beach along Washington Square is now open!  Read all about it here.

THD is so thrilled to welcome this authentic San Francisco family institution to the heart of our neighborhood.  We encourage residents and visitors to eat (and drink) at Original Joe’s and wish the Duggan family much well-deserved success in the years to come.

Take a look at the menu here:  Original Joe’s Menu