A longtime resident of the Fillmore Center writes: “I heard from a realtor that [the Fillmore Center apartments] are going Condo. He didn’t give a time frame, but I’ve lived here for 13 years and no one ever told me a thing about it.” We haven’t heard anything either (and would actually be surprised if it happened). Any plugged-in readers have the inside scoop or a definitive answer?
∙ The Fillmore Center Apartments [1475 Fillmore Street]
I had heard similar rumors in September last year (http://sfcondo.org/2006/09/05/fillmore-center-conversion/#comments) . I just called the Fillmore Center and the office says there is no conversion. On the other hand, the folks in the management office are often the last to know in such situations.
I don’t know anything about this particular property, but as I understand it, buildings of more than six units CANNOT convert to condominiums under any circumstances in San Francisco. (They are not eligible for the condo conversion lottery.)
However, if this is a newer building, it may have been condo-mapped when it was built, meaning that it’s ALWAYS been condominiums — but the owner elected to rent them out. In that case, the owner always has the option to stop renting the units and sell them off individually. If it’s a newer building that isn’t subject to rent control, I don’t think they’d need any city approval to do that.
Because there are tenants at the building in the affordable housing program, however, there could be community and government opposition. They would probably have to ensure that low-income, disabled and elderly tenants are not displaced, by paying moving costs, keeping a certain number of units as rentals, giving down payment assistance on purchasing a below market rate apartment or coming up with some other arrangement.
Anything is possible if you throw enough money around. Just look at what Sangiacomo’s doing with Trinity Plaza.
M.R.
Remember when the Fillmore was a viberant African American community? Remember when the Fillmore offered below-market rates? Don’t cha’ just love liberal, progressive and inclusive San Francisco?
I. Kant, no, I don’t remember what the Fillmore was like before the Redevlopment Agency demolished the entire area – that was almost 60 years ago!
i am a cuurent resident of the fillmore center who moved into my apartment as a re-let 2 years ago. my experience hear has been horrible and as the second largest housing authority nest to sfha they have a monopoly and a turn around that is insane- they have many many open lawsuits against them for a laundry list of reasons- if you look hard enough on line you can find hundreds of complaints and they will not answer the condo mapping questions but say that based upon how the complex was built and with the element of low income housing/market rate they will ocntinue to make oodles of money on this property as rentals vs. selling it as condos