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PUC launches outreach to rethink Southeast Community Facility and greenhouses; community urges jobs and safeguards
Summary
SFPUC described a community-driven outreach process to decide whether to renovate the Southeast Community Facility at 1800 Oakdale or build a new center at Third & Evans and to develop an interim plan for the greenhouses. Community speakers emphasized job training, compliance metrics, and preserving the site’s legacy.
SFPUC staff outlined a multi‑month outreach campaign to develop a community‑informed plan for the Southeast Community Facility (1800 Oakdale) and the adjacent greenhouses, highlighting options to renovate existing facilities or build a new center at Third & Evans and plans to vacate the failing greenhouses by year‑end.
Renee Ouellette, strategic initiatives manager, said a 2011 community assessment found the community center underutilized and phase‑1 renovations (Phelps Wing) completed in 2014 left structural and HVAC problems unresolved. Staff proposed a two‑option approach: (1) renovate 1800 Oakdale or (2) build a new community center at Third & Evans (a 5‑acre site). The outreach plan includes door‑to‑door canvassing, 22 community presentations, 12 focus groups, youth summits, an online survey, and an August report compiling findings for the Southeast Community Facility Commission and the PUC.
Ouellette said the greenhouses have reached a state beyond short‑term repair and SFPUC plans to vacate tenants by the end of the year while developing an interim programming plan and relocation support. The interim plan could include grants to community organizations, pop‑up greenhouses, or building new greenhouse facilities on alternative SFPUC land.
Community speakers including Southeast Community Facility Commission members, local nonprofits and business leaders repeatedly urged that the process produce measurable community benefits: local job training, compliance metrics for employment outcomes, preservation of the mitigation’s original mission, and stronger guarantees that the facilities serve intended beneficiaries. Speakers also urged SFPUC to provide regular updates and to maintain historical recognition of the original facility if a new center is built.
Commissioners praised the outreach depth and asked staff to return with more detailed cost comparisons, programming tradeoffs, and schedule clarity. Staff said they will report back with compiled outreach results in August and aim to begin design work in January 2017 on whichever option is selected.
