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Supervisors advance $3 million SoMa grant to secure West Bay Filipino Multi-Service Center site
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee voted to forward a resolution authorizing $3 million from the SoMa Community Stabilization Fund to acquire and renovate a West Bay Filipino Multi-Service Center facility, adding a condition that MOHCD approve any sale during the grant period and that the grantee repay the grant unless MOHCD waives repayment.
The Budget & Finance Committee on Feb. 10 voted to send to the full Board of Supervisors a resolution authorizing $3,000,000 from the SoMa Community Stabilization Fund to help West Bay Filipino Multi-Service Center acquire and renovate a nonprofit-owned facility in South of Market.
Claudine Del Rosario of the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development told the committee the purchase (listed as 150–154 Seventh Street in the presentation) would increase West Bay’s program and office space from about 1,500 square feet to roughly 6,200 square feet and keep a long-standing local business, Seventh Street Mission Restaurant, as a below-market tenant. Del Rosario said the city contribution for the project totals $3,600,000 when combined with other City funding, against a projected total project cost of about $6.2 million and that roughly $1.9 million in additional fundraising remained unconfirmed.
The committee adopted an amendment read into the record by Deputy City Attorney Anne Pearson that urges MOHCD to require, as a condition of receiving the grant, that the grantee: use the property for nonprofit, charitable or public-benefit purposes; make any future sale during the grant period contingent on MOHCD approval; and repay the grant if the grantee sells during the grant period unless the MOHCD director waives repayment. Pearson read the amendment language as follows: “repay the grant in the event that the grantee sells the property during the grant period, unless such requirement is waived by the MOCD director.”
Supervisor Asha Safaei proposed additional language giving MOHCD authority to approve a sale and to waive repayment when the use remains nonprofit; Del Rosario indicated MOHCD was amenable to that approach. Public commenters included West Bay director Carla Laurel, who said, “As you all know, we've been serving the community for the past 52 years,” and community supporters who urged swift approval to secure long-term nonprofit space.
The committee recorded the vote as a positive recommendation to the full board (ayes recorded by roll call) and will return the package with the amendment for final Board consideration. The item will next appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda for formal action.
