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SoMa divided: Filipino groups and residents urge delay or extra protections as developers promise $73M in benefits
Summary
Dozens of Filipino community members, arts groups and neighborhood organizations urged the Planning Commission to delay approval of the 5M project and finalize a Filipino Heritage District and anti‑displacement plan; supporters argued the project will deliver unusually large affordable housing and arts commitments.
A large, often emotional public comment period marked the Sept. 17 joint hearing on the 5M project, as scores of South‑of‑Market residents, Filipino community organizations, arts groups and tenant advocates urged commissioners to pause entitlements so community‑led protection measures could be finalized.
Opposition speakers said the project would accelerate long‑term displacement in a neighborhood with a century of Filipino history. "The 5M project proposal in South of Market is the latest attempt to drive us out," several Filipino community representatives said repeatedly, citing past displacements such as the International Hotel (I Hotel) and warning that up‑zoning and property value…
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