The rehabilitation of Warren Hellman
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| Photo by Alexander Warnow |
Everyone---even the Bay Guardian---is talking nice about Warren Hellman now, but it wasn't always thus. Hellman got a lot of shit for his role in creating the parking garage under the Concourse in Golden Gate Park. Parking in the park! The horror! And a billionaire is doing it! A story in the Guardian was entitled "Hellman's Hole" ("The wealthy interests behind Golden Gate Park's museums are destroying a popular civic treasure").
When Judge Warren ordered the Concourse Authority to study the idea of creating a dedicated entrance to the garage that begins outside the park as per Proposition J, the Authority proposed widening MLK Drive to the garage entrance by taking away parking on both sides of that street.
When Judge Warren ordered the Concourse Authority to study the idea of creating a dedicated entrance to the garage that begins outside the park as per Proposition J, the Authority proposed widening MLK Drive to the garage entrance by taking away parking on both sides of that street.
That led to a story in Beyond Chron: "Public Kept in the Dark over Golden Gate Park Garage" was the hed of a story raising suspicions about the process, quoting only people who were opposed to the garage ("...a non-profit organization backed by Warren Hellman, who also happens to foot the bill for the park's annual Strictly Bluegrass festival. With Hellman's help, the GGPCA raised $35 million").
Some accused Hellman of controlling the Concourse Authority, which was wreaking havoc in the park: "Warren Hellman's MCCP Destroys Northeast Pedestrian Tunnel."
Others saw Hellman as just one of the "plutocrats behind the privatization scam" in Golden Gate Park. The Guardian bought into the "privatization" line as late as 2006.
Eventually Hellman reached out to the city's progressives, including the Bicycle Coalition's Leah Shahum---the coalition opposed the garage---and Hellman gave them some money, which probably helped with the healing.
Soon Hellman appeared on the cover (the picture above) of the Bay Guardian with Shahum and Andy Thornley, and his political rehabilitation in Progressive Land was complete.
For some background/context on the garage issue, an interview with Mike Ellzey, executive director of the Concourse Authority, which actually got the garage and the remodeling of the Concourse done.
For some background/context on the garage issue, an interview with Mike Ellzey, executive director of the Concourse Authority, which actually got the garage and the remodeling of the Concourse done.
Labels: Anti-Car, BeyondChron, Concourse Garage, Golden Gate Park, Leah Shahum, The SF Bay Guardian
posted by Rob Anderson @ 5:24 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Pinky Kushner, who opposed the garage under the Concourse, throws Warren Hellman a bouquet in a letter in this morning's Chronicle for at least helping to make "an invisible garage in a pedestrian oasis."
But most of the credit for that should go to Mike Ellzey, who was executive director of the Concourse Authority, which actually got the garage built. Ellzey told me that "I’ve only met twice with Warren in five years."
My understanding is that Hellman's main---and crucial---contribution was in raising the money to get the garage built.
Gee...I wish you could have airbrushed out Leah and Andy...
By the way I wonder if Andy still smokes those PC correct non-filter brown cigarette? me bad...
Who are the other people in the picture?
Thornley is a smoker? And he doesn't wear a helmet when he rides.
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