Proposed plan of 518 Valencia Street via Mission Local. (Click to enlarge)
Bookstores may be falling away left and right, but if you thought that radical politics had somehow lost its way here in San Francisco, take heart- the old abandoned Abandoned Planet location at 518 Valencia Street is about to become a space for neighborhood meetings and events. After a teaser at Mission Local, we looked a little further: owned by the Kendra Alexander Foundation, the building has for years housed organizations like the Center For Political Education and the venerable Freedom Archives. It's also had an auditorium on the third floor but lacks an elevator; the newly renovated ground-floor space will be fully accessible, plus:
We recognize the need for more spaces committed to supporting local cultural expression and progressive voices seeking a distinct vision for the Bay Area. Alexander was an eminent community organizer in Berkeley until her untimely death in 1993, having once said she was proud to call herself "a communist with a small c." Among the American communists who broke with the Soviets over human rights issues, she is remembered for favoring dialogue and consensus over polemics. Architect for the new space is Asian Neighborhood Design, no doubt taking a breather from saving rich people's tennis courts from imperialist developers.
· What Will 518 Valencia Be? [Mission Local]
· 518 Valencia [518 Valencia]
· US socialist Kendra Alexander dies [Green Left]
· Center for Political Education [Center for Political Education]
· Freedom Archives [Freedom Archives]
· 8 Washington Street/Seawall Lot 351: Strange Bedfellows [Curbed SF Archives]