On Jan. 4, weathering torrential rains
and in spite of a power outage caused by a ferocious storm,
tenants of the historic San Francisco Flower Mart gathered
to hold a press conference. The gloom and doom atmosphere
caused by the storm outside seemed to mirror the emotions
of the small business owners and their supporters huddled
in the darkened Toscana Gardens shop.
Twenty-eight tenants on the western side, representing half
of the entire Flower Mart, are being evicted as part of
a plan by the for-profit Academy of Art University to purchase
the property and convert it into sculpture studio space.
The pending sale and evictions have serious implications
for the historic Japanese businesses at the Flower Mart,
connecting it to the overall issue of preservation of Japanese
American culture heritage in addition to the issue of the
contemporary plight of small business owners.
"The majority of the stockholders on the western end
aren't active in growing," explains Nisei Richie Oe,
who took over what was formerly Gish Endo's Wholesale Flowers,
in operation since the Mart's inception. "They decided
to sell their interests, but they don't realize how many
people they are affecting."
The tenants have been served eviction notices because the
Academy wants the property to be vacant when acquired, said
land-use attorney Sue Hestor, who represents the Mart tenants.
"We'll have no place to go," Jeff Iwasaki, a business
owner facing eviction, continued. "We can't just move
— we need the neighboring businesses to survive. People
know this is where you come for flowers."
"You can get everything here," Mike Ferro, who
owns the neighboring Fantistico, added. "If you go
to Safeway or Costco you are limited to your basic red rose;
if you want to do an arrangement with multiple brilliant
colors, there's no where else between here and L.A. to get
it."
Ferro said the Mart is the anchor that keeps consumers coming
to the area. He fears that without the Mart, neighboring
businesses cannot thrive.
As one of only three combination wholesale and retail flower
markets in the nation, the historically Japanese and Italian
American San Francisco Flower Mart has been the central
supplier for the city's florists and signature flower stands,
as well as a key distribution point for nurseries up and
down the West Coast since 1931.
The eastern two-thirds of the market, which is not for sale,
is controlled by Japanese American families and remains
an important part of Japanese history. Issei flowers growers
went into the flower business as early as 1884. Most had
no previous experience in floriculture in Japan, but the
success stories of other immigrants combined with job discrimination
in other areas made it an appealing venture. These pioneers
and their Nisei children who took over their businesses
were instrumental in creating and maintaining the Flower
Mart that exists today.
The city has made efforts to put a halt to the Academy's
plans. On Dec. 11 of last year, the Board of Supervisors
unanimously imposed a 45-day moratorium on any new educational
uses in the Western SOMA Industrial Protection zone in which
the Mart is located. Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the moratorium
on the 18th. The Board of Supervisors may extend the ban
for up to two years and the Planning Commission could vote
to permanently ban educational uses on the site, effectively
permanently preventing the Academy's stated plans.
"I am committed within the legislative boundaries of
the board to thwart their shameful attempts at evicting
30 thriving businesses," Board President Aaron Peskin,
who introduced the interim rules, told the San Francisco
Chronicle, saying he will do everything in his power to
prevent the deal from advancing.
The plans still appear to be going forward. Eviction notices,
dated Christmas Eve, were again sent out to tenants, this
time with an accelerated date of Feb. 29, moved up from
Apr. 30.
Sallie Huntting, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Art, told
the Chronicle, however, that because the school is in escrow,
it is legally obligated to follow through on the deal.
She further contended that the university's plans were permitted
uses when it entered into the purchase contract.
In a statement cited by the Chronicle, Academy of Art President
Elisa Stephens, stated that "the Academy of Art University..
did not issue the notices," though it does not explicitly
deny responsibility for them. "We deeply regret the
anxiety the notices caused these business owners and we
pledge to work with the current owners of the Flower Mart
to assure these businesses that we are prepared to work
with them in the future."
Michael Goldstein, a representative for the tenants, contended,
however, that the Academy has a poor track record on cooperating
with communities.
"They have silently bought up at least 13 big residential,
rent-controlled properties in the lower Nob Hill,"
he says. "If the landlords don't evict all the tenants,
they try to get them to relinquish their tenant rights and
go ahead and convert as much of the buildings as they can
into dormitories."
Goldstein says such practices devastate communities, by
bringing the young students of the pricey university into
rent control areas often populated by people of retirement
or near retirement age.
While a moratorium on educational use would prevent the
Academy from building either dormitories or sculpture studios
on the property, it could potentially remain a useful acquisition.
Hesting speculates that the academy could hold onto the
vacant property until the city, not wanting the space to
go to waste, would relinquish the moratorium.
John Nicolini, who owns Delano Nursery and whose grandfather
was one of the Mart's founders, believes that their interest
is actually in using the property for a later real estate
deal.
If everyone saw the Academy of Art for what it is —
a real estate acquisition business — they'd be a little
more circumspect" Harold Hoogasian, owner of Hoogasian
Flowers, added in agreement.
Whatever happens, the stakes are high for tenants.
San Le, an ethnic Chinese immigrant from Vietnam, who makes
leis at Piazza International Floral LLC, convinced her daughter
to forego college to work with her, a decision she regrets
now that Piazza faces eviction.
"I wake up at three in the morning, feeling guilty
and fearful," Le said with tears streaming down her
face.
"150 people will be displaced if the deal goes through,"
says Patrick McCann, the owner of Toscana Gardens and Greenworks.
He attempted to buy the property to keep the tenants in
business, and said "there are handicapped business
owners here and managers who support disabled spouses..
where are they going to go? We're just trying to understand
with all the opposition why can't we keep the businesses
going."
The coming week will see three city meetings which may address
that question.
On Jan. 10, the Planning Commission will amend their policy
on Eastern Neighborhoods industrial areas to require any
change of use at the Flower Mart be subject to Commission
approval or disapproval and will hear the report of the
Western SOMA Task Force which is responsible for drafting
new zoning controls for this area.
On Jan. 14, the Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee
will hear a report from Planning on steps already taken
to ban institutional uses in Western SOMA and on Jan. 15,
Peskin will introduce the two-year extension of the emergency
moratorium
"I thought San Francisco was pro-small business,"
Roy Martin, manager of McLellan Botanicals said. "I
don't see how 28 small businesses can just be pushed out."
|
Select a Florist
