Many residents of Japantown do not want a luxury hotel to be converted into supportive living there. Her supervisor, Dean Preston, takes care of her cause and brings him grief from across the spectrum of the housing discourse.
When the city announced its intention in August Buy four hotels and convert them into homeless apartmentsIn the selected hotels there was an unequivocal “one of these things is not like the other”. Namely the Hotel Kimpton Buchanan in Japantown, run by the prestigious Boutique hotels and restaurants in Kimpton Group. This establishment is, how shall we diplomatically put it, much nicer and fancier than the other three hotels on this list.
It now also differs from the others in that it quickly attracted more opposition from the neighborhood. A Online petition against the project has almost 7,000 signatures at the time of going to press. “This plan will forever change the fate of Japantown and the region,” the petition said. “Our ancestors rebuilt Japantown after returning from unjust imprisonment in World War II. They rebuilt this area with great human sacrifice. All of us who now live, work, have business, and worship in this neighborhood of Japantown / Western Addition / Lower Pac Heights, want to make choices about any plan that affects the area and our lives. “
Japantown has a painful history of racist government decisions that have left a legacy of suspicion. From internment to redevelopment, we must recognize that making decisions for, rather than with, the J-Town community can reopen the wounds of generations. That cannot be ignored
– Dean Preston (@DeanPreston) September 8, 2021
The Chronicle reported Tuesday that Mayor Breed wanted to do so step on the brakes on this Buchanan purchase (while accelerating the purchase of two others), with a spokesperson saying they wanted more time to “listen to the community, hear their concerns, and try to provide their feedback”. Breed found an unlikely ally in this request – the district manager Dean Preston, ret vocal lawyer for hotel renovations who was rather race-critical for allegedly not doing enough on this front.
We urge Supervisor Preston to stand up for the undocumented working class, stand up for socialist values, and unequivocally support the purchase of 1800 Sutter and the other available properties without delay.
– DSA San Francisco (@DSA_SF) September 9, 2021
The YIMBYs are jumps all over Preston for the supposed hypocrisy they are of course they hate the guy. But Preston also allows himself to be distracted by his progressive supporters. This may or may not coincide with some sort of “clarification letter” that Preston posted early Thursday evening, sent to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, but also publicly posted on his Twitter.
I want to share my appreciation for all of the advocacy of supportive living in D5. It’s exciting to see such widespread support for city acquisitions to host people. Here is a letter I sent to HSH regarding Buchanan and other D5 sites. Thank you for your intercession!https://t.co/OkCaRn0Ple
– Dean Preston (@DeanPreston) September 10, 2021
“From this contact it became clear that while the Buchanan is an attractive opportunity on paper and there is a strong desire across the board for continued housing support in District 5, the community members are having a unique and significant impact on sales Buchanan Hotels, ”Preston says in the letter. “These concerns can be broadly divided into four categories: first, the impact of losing the tourist hotel; second, the impact on union workers who may lose their jobs; third, the process; and fourth, the alleged effects of supportive living at this location. “
Het will then offer two other nearby hotel options, the Majestic Hotel (1500 Sutter Street) and the Gotham Hotel (835 Turk Street), both of which have expressed an interest in selling.
“More time for public relations” is a risky undertaking for these hotels, because time is of the essence. As Hoodline reports, the city must buy these hotels “by the end of the year to qualify for government matching funds to convert them into transitional housing for the homeless.”
Related: SF plans to buy four more hotels to protect homeless people [SFist]
Image: Kevin Y via Yelp
