It has been two decades since gay former San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty floated the idea of building a standalone LGBTQ history museum in the city's Castro district that he represented at City Hall. He and other proponents of the idea pitched it as a way to increase tourism to the LGBTQ neighborhood.
As the Bay Area Reporter had reported at the time, they were eying constructing the museum and archival center adjacent to the Eureka Valley Harvey Milk Memorial Library on 16th Street near Market Street at a cost upward of $15 million. With the Castro's branch library set to be renovated, Dufty and museum backers had approached the city's library commission about their proposal.
Alas, the idea didn't come to fruition, and Dufty termed out of his Board of Supervisors seat in early January 2011. Nonetheless, GLBT Historical Society staff and city leaders over the years have continued to press forward with seeing the country's first freestanding LGBTQ history museum come to fruition.
A feasibility study released in 2019 determined it made the most sense to acquire a site for it in the Castro. The preservationist group's jewel box museum space it rents on 18th Street in the Castro limits what it can display from its vast archives housed, at the moment, in a commercial building in the Central Market Street area of downtown. It also has larger archival items housed in offsite storage space.
Four years ago, the historical society shelved its plans to move into the then-vacant larger commercial property space at 2355 Market Street near 17th and Castro streets due to the COVID pandemic. In 2021, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, working with gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, surprised historical society leaders with her allocating in the city budget approved that summer $12.5 million toward the LGBTQ museum project.
The following year gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), a former District 8 supervisor, secured a $5.5 million grant from the state for the project. As the B.A.R. reported in July, the supervisors formally accepted the state funds in June, kicking off a deadline to use the money by March 1, 2026.
The preferred property for it has long been the building at Castro and Market streets that had housed a Pottery Barn store. It is kitty-corner to Harvey Milk Plaza, where long gestating plans to remodel the parklet into a proper memorial for the city's late first gay supervisor could be funded if voters pass the local bond measure Proposition B on the November 5 ballot.
As the B.A.R. has reported, the city ended previous negotiations to buy 2390 Market Street due to the asking price ranging from $15 to $18 million. In addition to the LGBTQ museum, the city has suggested a project there could also include affordable housing units above it.
With the city and property owner seemingly at a crossroads, the B.A.R. asked this year's mayoral candidates if they would use eminent domain to acquire the site. They were also asked how they would see the LGBTQ museum project come to fruition.
Breed didn't address the use of eminent domain in her answer. Instead, she told the B.A.R. that her administration has not given up on finding a site for the LGBTQ museum project.
"I have been working diligently with Supervisor Mandelman to identify a site for a permanent LGBTQ museum, touring many buildings in and around the Castro," wrote Breed, who has her mayoral campaign headquarters in the heart of the neighborhood on the 500 block of Castro Street. "This is a top priority for me, and I have reserved funding in the city budget to finance an acquisition. We have some promising leads developing, and I hope to be able to share good news soon."
Of the seven candidates who returned the B.A.R.'s questionnaire, gay Castro resident Keith Freedman was the only one to fully embrace eminent domain as on option. Under the law, the government can forcefully acquire private property for a public project so long as the property owner is paid "just compensation;" it is rarely used in San Francisco.
"I have no issue exploring eminent domain for all vacant retail space," wrote Freedman, a travel business entrepreneur who lives right by Breed's HQ. "We can't allow retail spaces to remain empty because property owners are unreasonable about the rents they demand even when the market mandates lower prices. San Francisco's first gay mayor might be in a good position to unlock some wallets to get benefactors to fund the balance."
Board President Aaron Peskin, who represents District 3, didn't rule out using eminent domain if need be.
"I am a skilled real estate negotiator and have negotiated hundreds of complex real estate transactions over the last 40 years. I have also sparingly used eminent domain in extreme circumstances," wrote Peskin. "As mayor, I would attempt to negotiate a creative purchase of the subject property using the numerous tools that I know how to use and would consider the use of eminent domain as a last resort."
Former mayor Mark Farrell, who represented supervisorial district 2 and is a venture capitalist, noted he had supported legislation backing a museum of LGBTQ history and culture be built in the city when he served on the board. He didn't embrace the use of eminent domain in his response to the B.A.R.
"It has been my experience that the best way to get a project like this off the ground is to build a strong network of public-private partnerships and robust private philanthropy, and that would be the fastest way to make this project a success," wrote Farrell.
District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí faulted Breed's administration for allowing "this problem to drag on for a long period of time with no action." He told the B.A.R. it was time for city leaders "to create a win-win" that benefits all the parties involved.
"As mayor, I would propose a partnership with the building owner to retain commercial space, have a museum and build housing above. While the building owner would retain ownership of the commercial space, the city would have the opportunity to build the LGBTQ museum and use some of the new state density laws to create a multi-story building for housing," wrote Safaí. "We could even offer a few of the units to the building owner as an incentive to allow this development to proceed. This way the city and the building owner can work together to fill a vacant space, build a museum and create more housing in the city, units we desperately need."
Daniel Lurie, an heir to the Levi's fortune who later became founder and CEO of the nonprofit Tipping Point Community aimed at addressing the Bay Area's homelessness epidemic, suggested he would use eminent domain as part of a carrot-and-stick approach to negotiating with the property owner on having the city acquire the site.
"This is an example of why San Francisco needs a mayor who has spent their career finding innovative ways to get things done, even when others said it was impossible. I would actively engage with the property owner to find a mutually agreeable solution, potentially exploring options like public-private partnerships, grants, or tax incentives to close the gap between the city's offer and the asking price," wrote Lurie. "I would ensure the property owner clearly understands the city's eminent domain powers and how it is imperative that this important cultural project, which honors San Francisco's LGBTQ history and contributions, becomes a reality."
Lurie added that he would "work closely with community stakeholders, local organizations, and potential donors to secure the necessary funding and support to bring the museum to fruition, ensuring it reflects the community's vision and needs."
Transit engineer Shahram Shariati, who also works as a residential property manager, told the B.A.R. that the city may need to focus its attention on a site outside of the Castro for an LGBTQ history museum.
"While I understand that the Castro is the preferred location for the permanent LGBTQ museum, if an agreement cannot be reached with the landlord to purchase the site at a reasonable price, I would consider alternative locations that better fit the city's budget," he wrote. "The city has a history of overspending, which has contributed to its current financial difficulties. For example, the empty mall in downtown could serve as a hub for new experiences, including an LGBTQ museum."
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