Mission District News

The big story in the Mission this past week has been the big story in San Francisco over the last few weeks: BART, protests and plenty of upset people.

But there was plenty of other news in the Mission this week courtesy of Mission Local.

Condos popping up on Valencia… Is the recession over? If you look at Valencia Street, you might think so. But not so fast. Mission Local reports that despite several condominium projects set to pop-up, the funding for the projects was still difficult to come by and many others are on hold. According to the San Francisco Planning Department, construction is still depressed in the city and the Mission saw only a sliver of housing units approved last year.

Longtime Mission community organizer passes away… Some sad news as 45-year-old Eric Quezada passed away at his home in Bernal Heights this week. Quezada was a founding member the Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition and at the time of his death, was the executive director of Dolores Street Community Services. In the 90’s he surfaced at the front of several social justice movements throughout the city.

New park coming to 17th and Folsom… This week, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Commission approved the purchase of property at the corner of 17th and Folsom for $2.42 million. The proposal is expected to go before the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission next month. The blog reports that the city already “has funding to acquire the property, construct the park and maintain it for at least three years.” If approved by the SFPUC, it could head before the Board of Supervisors by early October.

Photo Credit: Mission Local

It's simple. Keith Mizuguchi loves to write and write and write some more. After taking a hiatus from the journalism business, he has rekindled his passion for writing over the last two years, holding a job as both a web and on-air writer for San Francisco news radio station KCBS. While he enjoys the news business, his true passions are twofold: sports and food. Bay Area born and raised, he lives in San Jose, commutes to SF and loves every minute of it. You can follow his food adventures on Twitter @foodie_keith.