Bayview's resilience confronts a new development wave
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Scenes from San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood, including the Third Street corridor. Photos: Courtesy of Economic Development on Third Street
As development visions loom over Bayview–Hunters Point, locals are hopeful yet wary about change to one of San Francisco's most historic Black neighborhoods, and who will benefit.
The big picture: A recently revised development plan would deliver over 2 million square feet of commercial space and more than 7,000 housing units, including affordable housing, at the former site of Candlestick Park in Bayview.
- The project has already dragged on for over 10 years, but some local leaders say they're hopeful it will provide fresh opportunities for retail and other entrepreneurs.
- The state-authorized Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure is working with the developer to ensure local hiring and contracting are prioritized as part of a community benefits agreement, executive director Thor Kaslofsky told Axios.
Yes, but: That fresh progress hasn't abated gentrification and displacement concerns, particularly for Black residents who have seen their community members increasingly leave San Francisco.
- "There's been things that have been done to us years ago that's embedded in some people's DNA," James Mabrey, Bayview resident and owner of Your All Day Everyday Janitorial Services, told Axios.
- It's hard to overcome that distrust, Mabrey noted.
- Developers should employ people from the community and also invest in trade skills training for the next generation, he added.
- "As you're developing this project and you're developing these young children, it's going to all blossom together," Mabrey said.
Why it matters: Bayview flourished as a hub for the Black community in the 1900s but has long struggled with disinvestment, higher poverty rates and the effects of toxic waste.
What they're saying: Perceptions of the neighborhood as unsafe have always overshadowed its beauty, "which absolutely is the culture and the history and the resilience and the strength of the people," Kim Truong, co-owner of Bayview eatery Frank Grizzly's, told Axios.
- At the same time, it's hard to deny the impact of disinvestment — including the loss of pharmacies in the area, Truong noted.
Zoom in: Bayview has already made strides since the pandemic.
- The commercial corridor Third Street is home to several shops — such as Frank Grizzly's — that started as pop-ups with the nonprofit Economic Development on Third's shared-use Bayview Makers Kitchen, which offers food entrepreneurs a space to produce and sell without going through the permitting process.
- A partnership with the city's Office of Economic Workforce also enabled grants for improving storefronts, such as new paint, signage and lighting.
What's next: FivePoint, the Candlestick developer, is expected to begin construction next year.