I first wrote about the Harding Theater issue in 2005 shortly after I started this blog---and shortly after Ross Mirkarimi was first elected District 5 Supervisor. Seven years ago this week, Mirkarimi talked about the Harding at a Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Association meeting:
Ross warned HANC members Thursday night that he doesn't want to end up with nothing but a derelict Harding Theater "if we don't get our way" on the issue. He pointed out that the Harding theater "looks terrible" from the street. In short, the neighborhood will have to live with condos on the site if he can't get the votes.
Fortunately---or unfortunately, as the case may be---he got the votes to stop the planned development on the property: 18 condos and some retail space fronting on Divisadero. The people who wanted to save the Harding never had the money to do anything with the property once the city had put the extra hurdles in the way of any development, which is why the property has blighted the middle of Divisadero all these years.
Now comes a group of local residents who are serious about doing something with the property: Neighbors Developing Divisadero. They deserve all the encouragement we can give them. They don't have a website yet, but you can get on their mailing list here: hardingtheater@gmail.com
Take their survey here.Labels: Divisadero, Harding Theater, Ross Mirkarimi
