A plugged-in tipster forwards a 55 Laguna update from Seth Kilbourn, Executive Director of openhouse:
In April 2008, AF Evans Development and openhouse received entitlement from the City of San Francisco to develop the 55 Laguna Street site. Since receiving entitlement, the City, AF Evans and openhouse have been working together to move the project forward and secure the necessary financial backing.
On March 5, 2009 AF Evans Company, Inc. filed a voluntary Petition for Relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. This filing will have minimal impact on the 55 Laguna Street project. I spoke directly to CEO Art Evans last week. He re-affirmed the commitment of AF Evans to 55 Laguna and told me that their filing will not affect their efforts on the project. AF Evans is not going out of business and does not plan any layoffs. It is strategically addressing the reality of this unprecedented economic climate.
We’ll let you decide what “efforts” and “minimal impact” mean.
∙ 55 Laguna: The Plugged-In (And A.F. Evans) Development Update [SocketSite]
∙ Local Housing Developer AF Evans Files For Bankruptcy Protection [SocketSite]
I bet 55 Laguna is one of the AF Evans projects that will get dropped. Too many headaches to make it happen and too many distractions with the bankruptcy and it’s too bad because it’s probably now 10+ years before anything happens with the site.
AF Evans and OpenHouse insulted the community by not modifying the proposed plans to allow for preservation of all Historical Register buildings.
They constantly changed their proposals, confused the public and then watched with glee as the affordable housing (and I AM for affordable and senior housing)folks were pitted against those who want to see this site and its buildings remain in public use. The Planning Dept. did not adequately review the site, presenting canned responses to neighborhood concerns and not even responding to concerns about traffic congestion.
The project is dead.