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Committee backs rent forgiveness for three city tenants, sends ordinance to full Board
Summary
The Budget and Finance Committee voted 3–0 to recommend an ordinance to the full Board authorizing forgivable rent for three city tenants affected by COVID-19: New Asia restaurant ($202,500), New Conservatory Theatre ($32,723.92) and Steven Paoli’s pop-up ($22,500). BLA reported total forgiveness requests at about $258,000.
The Budget and Finance Committee on April 7 voted to recommend to the full Board an ordinance allowing the city administrator to amend three city leases and forgive back rent owed during the COVID-19 period.
Director of Real Estate Andrico Penick presented the ordinance, which asks the City to forgive specified rent owed between April and December 2020 for three tenants: New Asia restaurant at 772 Pacific Avenue ($202,500), the New Conservatory Theatre at 25 Van Ness Avenue ($32,723.92), and a pop-up restaurant operated by Steven Paoli at 165 11th Street ($22,500). Penick told the committee the tenants had exhausted other relief and that “rent waiver is the only option to keep this tenant viable” in each of the three cases.
Severn Campbell of the Budget and Legislative Analyst’s office said the three targeted forgiveness amounts total about $258,000 and noted the ordinance also waives certain administrative and environmental code provisions when amending those specific leases. Penick said the administration originally sought broader authority to forgive additional leases through June 2021 but withdrew that request; the version before the committee applies only to the three named tenants.
Supervisors asked whether the authority to provide additional rent abatements should be delegated or returned to the Board. Penick and the BLA emphasized that the real estate portfolio is diverse and that case-by-case Board review is appropriate for now; members said the remaining pool of potentially affected tenants appeared manageable. There was no public comment on the item.
Chair Matt Haney moved the amendments and the committee approved recommending the ordinance to the full Board by roll call: Vice Chair Asha Safaei, Member Gordon Mar and Chair Haney voted aye (3–0). The item is expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda for April 13.
