Plaza 16 Coalition is a community organization in the Mission created to oppose the largest market rate housing development in the neighborhood (1979 Mission St.). The developer, San Francisco real estate company, Maximus Real Estate Partners, is rumored to be behind the Clean up the Plaza campaign.
From the Plaza 16 Coalition website: "We are neighborhood residents, businesses, and community organizations from the 16th and Mission neighborhood and Mission District. We believe in equitable development that creates healthy, vibrant, communities of opportunity. We believe this requires thoughtful, intentional, and community-based strategies to ensure that low-income communities and communities of color participate in and benefit from the decisions that shape our neighborhoods and transit-orientated development."
In general, the coalition calls for an end to the destabilization of communities due to new developments, specifically market rate development, due to the fact that "we" will not benefit from "this kind" of housing. They often use the slogan "people not profits" to express the need for community-based planning that reflects the Mission residents and workers.
Their official demands are the following:
- Maximus abandon the project
- The SF Planning Commission and the City reject all Market Rate housing until the housing supply is fully met for low-income working class folks
- The SF Planning Department abide by the Plan Popular (The People's Plan), established in 2006 - Part 1 and Part 2
- The owners of the land, the Jang Family Trust, transfer the land into community hands
- The SFPD stop the harassment and criminalization of low income and peoples of color at 16th & Mission
In community meetings, many participants have expressed frustration at the rapid change happening in the city, and especially the gentrification of the Mission. Opinions differ on whether the plaza should remain untouched as is, or be transformed into a community space and/or affordable housing. Currently, the coalition does not have an alternative proposal for the plaza.
More information
- Official website, Plaza 16 Coalition
- "Housing Project Planned for BART Corner at 16th and Mission" - on Curbed SF
- "Clean Up the Plaza Run by Political Consultant with Ties to Developer" - on SF Bay Guardian
- "Advocates Rally Against Proposed Mission Condos" - on Mission Local
- "Developer Faces Massive Battle over 16th Street BART Housing Project" - on SF Business Times
- "Housing at Transit Hubs Should be 100 Percent Affordable"
- "16th and Mission Project Foes Ponder Next Move" - on Mission Local
- "16th and Mission Developer Gets Schooled in Community Relations" - on 48 hills
