Tonight: Saving - or not - the UC Laguna campus
Hey, have you seen that giant, ugly monstrosity of a wall on Haight Street between Laguna and Buchanan? That's the old UC Extension campus. Yep, the one that's been closed since 2003 and has been fallow since. Why are we bringing this thing up now, ruining your beautiful June morning with mental images of a dilapidated, graffiti-scarred bit of lovely urban blight right in the middle of the city?
Because there's a meeting tonight to discuss the fate of the campus. See, UC wants to long-term lease the campus to AF Evans, who has worked through the byzantine process of city politics to come up with a development plan that pretty much nobody loves, but includes senior GLBT housing, affordable housing, community space, and preserves 80% -ish of the historic buildings there.
But, there are other constituencies that want to have the whole damned thing declared a Historical Landmark, which would require that pretty much every building would have to be preserved as-is. Who's behind this plan, which would keep that retaining wall where it is, and keep eyes off the street in an already crime-troubled neighborhood?
Well, we're not the types to insinuate, wink, nod, or in any way allege (right, Ed Jew?), but the group pushing for landmarking is called Save the UCBE Laguna Street Campus, and they have absolutely nothing to do with New College, who have absolutely no interest in getting that campus for themselves, although a suspicious number of people with New College connections have been showing up at Lower Haight and Hayes Valley neighborhood meetings lately...
For its part, AF Evans has declared that it will walk away if the site is landmarked, and UC has said that if Evans walks they'll mothball the place and let it sit there for the free use of the local crack-dealing set. Are they telling the truth, or is this a bargaining tactic? Who knows?
If you live nearby and want to make your voice heard, or if you're just interested in the riotously fun site of a city land-use appropriations hearing, make your way to City Hall tonight! The hearing is at room 400 in City Hall tonight, starting at around six.