[fake real estate billboard featuring 17 Reasons that I painted in 2007]
This came in to us today from Rick Holman, who says that he is concerned about misinformation spreading about what he intends to do with his property on the southeast corner of 17th and Mission:
Open letter to the Mission and San Francisco from the owner of 2102 Mission Street Neighbors:
I’m Rick Holman. I am a fifth-generation San Franciscan and I have recently purchased the Redlick Building at 2101-2125 Mission Street (you may know it as the 17 Reasons Building.). We’re pleased to own this well-known San Francisco building. We plan to maintain it as it is: bustling with unique, San Francisco and Mission-oriented businesses. However, I’ve been distressed by some rumors that are being spread. I’d like to set the record straight.
We have no intention to tear down the building, convert the building to lofts or condos, or otherwise change its fundamental character or use. Some have pointed to the soils testing currently underway as evidence that we’re about to convert the building to condos. The soil is being tested to better understand the Building’s significant seismic issues. We intend to address the issues once we fully understand them. We want the tenants and visitors to be safe when they’re in the Building. Also, there is no intention to build an underground parking structure. The Building sits on Mission Creek, making the construction of an underground parking garage at the site nearly impossible.
Let’s be clear: we didn’t buy the Redlick Building to leave it completely alone – that would be a disservice to our tenants. We are making positive changes. The Building was porous; there were many ways for unwelcome visitors to get inside. Locks and doors didn’t close correctly, and the parking lot gate was broken and would not close. So the faulty door has been fixed. The numerous broken locks have been replaced with locks that are the same as the ones on the Mission Street doors. We have distributed more than 70 new keys to our tenants, free of charge. The Building now has security personnel in the Building to discourage the unwelcome visitors. We’ve replaced over 100 burned-out lights in stairwells and hallways, cleaned the storefront windows and cleaned out drains. We have started the process of investing a significant amount of money in improving the Building elevators and HVAC system – money we want to spend to make this Building better.
We have heard we replaced the management of the Building. T and Aldo are still here, and Julio has joined the management crew. I am also here almost every day. There are now twice as many people in the Building to assist the tenants combining the old with new energy.
There are rumors that we are planning to evict all of our tenants. This is completely untrue. Let’s be clear: I have indeed initiated one eviction, for a group of people illegally occupying one of the units. (This is the first eviction process I have ever engaged in, by the way.) But we are already in conversation or negotiation with many of the other tenants regarding the extension of their leases and tenancies. The ground floor retail tenants, Thrift Town, Fabric Outlet and A&A Bargains, are important Mission District businesses. We hope that they remain tenants here for many years to come.
I regret that some have chosen to spread unfounded rumors about the future of the Redlick Building. However, we’re confident that the changes we’re making will provide a better, safer, and more positive experience for our tenants and visitors.
Thank you for taking the time to read this note.
Rick Holman Mission Street SF LLC
This seems like as good a time and place as any to ask Holman any legitimate questions or pose any concerns you have about the future of this building and the businesses it houses. As a longtime resident of the neighborhood I know that I am hopeful that he will indeed keep the current thriving businesses intact and agree with him that they are important to the fabric (pun unfortunately intended) of our neighborhood.
Can he collect the various pieces of the old sign and put them back up?
That would sure be sweet, but something tells me that billboard space may be a major money-maker.
You read my mind. Restoring the sign would be the fast track to scoring points with the neighborhood (along with making sure the building doesn’t fall down in the next shaker).
Obviously I am on board with this plan.
Wow, that would be AWESOME! Especially since it was essentially illegal to remove it in the first place (If I recall correctly. I could be remembering wrong, however.)
I don’t believe it’s illegal – an acquaintance was on track to purchase the sign a couple years back, the only deterrent turned out to be the cost to get it down from the roof.
My memory is hazy, too, but I think that maybe the installation of the billboard in place of the sign was shady–not the old sign’s removal.
Ahh yeah, that is sounding more familiar.
Well that is just amazing news! I sure hope that’s true. I’d LOVE to see that ugly billboard go bye-byes.
Yay? Yay! The 17 Reasons sign would be golden.
Rick: Have you also given the new keys to the tenants you are trying to evict? You don’t clarify that point in your response. Until those tenants are lawfully evicted, they have a lawful right to access that space.
We look forward to hearing back.
John
If they are illegally occupying the space, they may not be tenants at all. From this comment and the one below it, I am even more sympathetic with the landlord. Seems pretty clear that these “tenants” don’t feel that they have to pay rent or obey rules.
Mr. Holman,
You should clarify what “illegally occupying” means.
As far as I know, these tenants have never missed a rent payment. And Jesus Christ, they serve FREE food to the homeless every week on the corner and offer a space for the community to meet in and use.
Given the state of the world and this city, what could possibly be worth it throw them out, “Neighbor”?
I am guess it’s your pocket book, but please clarify.
L!
Uptown Almanac says that apparently the tenants were living in the commercial space, which is illegal.
Huh? I don’t read that in the UA article at all.
In any case, if it is true, have not artists been doing this in the Mission for decades now? This is part of the culture in this neighborhood.
Which brings me to my last point, people like Rick Holman are more that just property owners – they have aristocratic ideals, and as such, they destroy culture/s they deem “dirty”.
I call bullshit on this guy, but hopefully he responds here so we can get answers.
L!
Nestor, please!
I suspect YOU are a trust-fund anarchist with a Crass backpatch.
Trustifarian.
Crime and illegal activity need not be a part of the culture of this neighborhood. If that is what drew you to the Mission, then you’re not doing the neighborhood any good.
Whoa, that’s drawing some pretty harsh black and white lines.
@Cynthia:
Uh..Nestor? Huh?
@OldMissionNeighbor:
What are you talking even about? What “crime” and “illegal activity”?
Y’all are fucking kooks that don’t even know what you are talking about.
No wonder were all fucked. Onward to our global destruction.. .
“Lucy!”:
one assumes “Nestor” refers to “Nestor Makhno” –thought all you hip missionites knew that was the alias Keating used back when he was keeping the yuppies in their SUV’s out.
The guy was so lame he was unaware that the yuppies he thought he was eradicating came in on bicycles not SUV’s.
This is a group of artists from what it seems. They make the Mission beautiful and welcoming. What illegal activity is going on?
@Lucy: wow you spew a lot of hate. You have made me completely unsympathetic to the the “tenants” — You seem to have an ideological disposition to hate anyone who is different from you. Sorry , but I call BS on that attitude — it is not representative of most people in the Mission.
“We want the tenants and visitors to be safe when they’re in the Building.”
so we will put up cameras everywhere, hire men with guns, put bars on all the windows and watch every person walking in or by the building.
we are here to protects you!!!
now, give me my fucking money or ill throw you in the gutter you pieces of shit!
Haha, poor ole Rick Holman sure is working (paying someone) overtime to cover his ass.
5th Generation you say. Your family has experience removing people from their homes huh? Your family probably was among the people who thought my family should have a new Chinatown that wasn’t in the City. But I’m not mad at you. It’s your building now. You have rights too! Just remember where it’s located. And maybe try not to be a total dick.
I don’t have a dog in this race, but I’m curious. What would you all do with this property? What would you do in his place?
Ping pong douch-baggery
HAHAHA AMAZING
I trust this fella about as much as a Collateralized Debt Obligation.
more like 17 reasons to send him and his money back to his condos in South of Market..oops, I mean “SOMA”..
I think what Rick is doing is fantastic! We need more building owners who are there to protect their tenants, restore buildings that have been neglected, and retain rental space for both people and businesses. That is the best thing for our neighborhood and I support him 100%. It’s hard to believe that some of the people posting are more concerned about the group of illegal tenants and can’t see the bigger picture. It’s so easy to be holier-than-thou from the comfort of your online universe.
illegal tenants?
Are these tenants fleeing from Mexico? Guatemala? Honduras? Due to the rampant US secret wars? Are they black or brown? Are they homeless? Are they dirty?
Why don’t we just group them together and kill them? Its much more “humane” than lives void of meaning and constant harassment.
They are anarchists fleeing Daddy’s Walnut Creek estate.
That sounds like some scapegoating. Create a group arbitrarily (on political grounds), then exclude the group. Not only is that politically and personally oppressive, but it seems like the company that bought the building is discriminating against people based on their personal beliefs. If you’re into that, you can go to a country where political repression is legal.
well huh, the anarchists I have met over the years were all dirty squatters who also happened to be some of the most chill, free and cool people I have ever met.
what makes you think they are form rich families? because they want to destroy the violence of capital and the state that you desire to uphold?
uh uh, they want to “destroy” capitalism but the are completely “chill” — Most “anarchists” are some of the most totalitarian people I have ever met, they want to remake society in their vision and don’t really care that the vast majority opposes that vision. So they resort to violent protests, harassment, etc., because they know that they will never be able to win through peaceful means. (and BTW, destroying property is violence as it is intended to create fear)
if you cash someone’s rent check, they are not an ‘illegal’ tenant.
It looks like Rick Holman was in the banking industry right around the time we headed into an economic recession. I guess he made it out with plenty of cash to put towards displacing people from their neighborhoods.
Until the court calls something illegal, it just seems like a group of artists being threatened and harassed by some rich guy (rich off the recession that is). Sorry art is not as lucrative as whatever you want to replace the building with, but it is more honorable to live and let live. Especially if rent is still being paid as commentors above have noted.
Do we know that rent is being paid? and even if it is, if they are not following the terms of their lease they can still be evicted (and justly so).
Jeez, people sure like to jump to conclusions. Does anyone actually know for sure why the tenants are being evicted? If not, maybe don’t crucify this Holman guy?
The tenants and Holman seem to know. If there was legitimate ground to evict, why all the harassment from the landlord? Usually it’s a straight forward court process but now there is an unscrupulous landlord yelling and threatening tenants seemingly out of nowhere. Previous owners never had enough of a problem to evict right? It’s pretty clear that the landlord thinks he can get more rent from the place than the current tenants are paying, but that’s not fair or legal grounds for an eviction.
I haven’t heard of any evidence of harassment.
Read the article that this is a response to. In it there are claims of harassment. Based on what I’ve personally seen since then, this landlord is really going the extra mile to be unpleasant.
They’ve blocked all the handicapped exits so people in wheel chairs have to be carried out of the building.
If anyone knows how to contact the tenants who believe they are being wrongly kicked out, I would like to talk with them.
“If they are illegally occupying the space, they may not be tenants at all.” yes correct.
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