Feature
by Neveo Mosser & Arthur Evans
The Tenderloin Sidewalk Improvement Program (TSIP) recently celebrated its third anniversary of regularly cleaning sidewalks. The program is recognized by the City of San Francisco as a long-term success with visible improvements to the Tenderloin’s sidewalks. So why do TSIP staff look so down in the mouth?
“Private property owners are not investing enough to keep this going,” said Shawn Collins, TSIP’s Director. “We need their financial support, and we need them to match public investments. If our property-owner sponsorship does not dramatically increase, our program will die and the improvements we’ve made will disappear.”
Will Tenderloin sidewalks go back to their former state? High levels of sidewalk decay carried powerful consequences last time, because sidewalks are the access route and advertisement for a community. No local and certainly no Union Square tourist wanted to shop or stay in the Tenderloin unless absolutely necessary. Thus property values remained stagnant and neighborhood crime skyrocketed. For now, all that’s changed.
“I was working outside of the neighborhood for a few years, and the first thing I noticed when I returned was that the sidewalks are the shiniest thing outside my office window,” said Robert Godfrey, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation’s Director of Property Management. “I don’t see as many vacant retail spaces as I did before the program started,” added Richard Allman, Board Treasurer for TSIP.
“They [retail businesses] don’t close down as fast as they used to,” according to Suzie Wong who has owned Peerless General Supply in the Tenderloin for over three decades. “And I get more Union Square shoppers.” Gayle Wood, long-time resident and activist in the Tenderloin, appreciates that TSIP has built pride in the residents of this community. “People in the Tenderloin have historically been slow to support new programs. But they’ve been swayed by TSIP because the service is solid, and they recognize and respect Operators Edgar Dennis and Michael Johnson,” she added.
These community activists are part of a large group of city officials and nonprofit groups that recognize and support the important contributions TSIP has made. Will the private property owners of the Tenderloin become the core partners they should be in this community cleaning movement? Or will they miss the boat, and be stuck with the scummy sidewalks that made the Tenderloin the shame of San Francisco for three decades?
Some local property owners have already got on board. The A.F. Evans Property Management Inc. has supported this program with administrative staff salaries, accounting services and other key operation funds from the start. Other property-owner sponsors include: ASIAN Inc., Caritas Management, Conard House, Mercy Housing, Mosser Companies and the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Even with this private support, the program is nowhere near attaining self-sufficiency. Two operators, two machines and a director cost money. In addition, there’s the commitment to program innovations and improvements.
There’s a simple choice: if local property owners and merchants invest their fair share of the $400,000 required to do all this on an annual basis, then they can demand the city make an investment as a partner in this program. The result will be that their neighborhood will be maintained, and their property values will rise. If they don’t give their fair share, the program will die, the sidewalks will again be ugly, conditions will again deteriorate in the Tenderloin, and Tenderloin properties will again be poor investments. “Because our program is partially supported by public funds, you cannot maintain your sidewalks for less than our minimum. And we’ll throw in the rest of your neighborhood for free,” claims Collins.
The lifeline is there. Our hope is that property owners will grab on. TSIP’s property-owner sponsorship program includes three levels of support: Fair-Share Club members pay at least $1 per unit, per month on each sponsoring property; Gold Level Sponsors pay at least $5,000 per year; and Platinum Level Sponsors pay at least $10,000. Remember that the Tenderloin Sidewalk Improvement Program is a legally recognized 501c3 corporation, so contributions are tax-deductible.
Director, Shawn Collins, can be reached at 415-409-8747. Take the time to call him and find out how you can help make a difference for a fourth year of clean sidewalks in the Tenderloin.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the SF Apartment Magazine. Neveo Mosser is a past president of SFAA. He is with Mosser Companies. Arthur Evans is with A.F. Evans Company Inc, 510-891-9400. © Copyright 2002.