Quote:
Originally Posted by Cory
Never understood why that was being built. Literally every store you can think of is about 5 blocks away. Even multiples of the same store.
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As somebody who actually testified in favor of building it before the Planning Commission, I think I can tell you.
First, consider where it is: Pretty much at the intersection of the Tenderloin, SOMA and Market St which divides the two, both of which have some of San Francisco's lowest income people and many people who don't own cars. "Every store (YOU) can think of" does not supply the necessities of life to low income people living in small apartments in these neighborhoods. First of all, it's a "food desert". At the time what was then called Market Street Place was approved, there was no real low cost super market within walking distance (especially walking carrying bags of groceries) in the area (at the upper end was Bristol Farms on the lower level of SF Centre mall). Now there is, several blocks down Market St., a Trader Joe's and over on Mission a Target that carries some gorceries. Whether those constitute full service low cost places to buy wholesome food, I won't debate here.
Second, at the time it was approved, there wasn't anyplace in the area to buy low cost clothing. The Target that is now at 4th & Mission was supposed to be in this mall, but the approval process took too long and Target found the other location. Also, it was thought some of the outlet stores like Nordstrom Rack could be in this mall but those also got tried of waiting and found other locations. San Francisco's process just imposed such delays that all the stores "you can think of" that now exist elsewhere--but didn't then--found other places to be.