Big business or bust for Haight Street? New housing project with no parking could spell trouble

HAIGHT ASHBURY — An upcoming housing project set to launch next year missing additional parking could spell trouble for the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, potentially leading to a looming car crisis.

The new affordable housing project –– 730 Stanyan –– projected to open in 2025, may make parking more difficult for both visitors and residents. The housing development will front Haight Street and house low to moderate-income families. 730 Stanyan is in a high-resource area per state funding guidelines, which makes it competitive for receiving enough funds for parking, according to their website.

Joe Goldmark, the owner of Amoeba Music across the street from 730 Stanyan, said the neighborhood seems to be recovering from the pandemic and restoring its vibrancy. However, he anticipates another obstacle ahead with the upcoming seven-story building with no parking.

 “We’re not happy about that at all,” Goldmark said. “It’s gonna be even worse for the neighborhood at night when you have 80 or 100 extra cars trying to park where there’s already no parking.”

The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood is a vibrant part of San Francisco and is known to be the birthplace of the 1960s counterculture movement. It now serves as a hub for vintage clothing stores, local restaurants and bars, murals and music stores. The streets are typically filled with cars lining the storefronts, especially on the weekends.

Daniel Ortega, the owner of Nice Kicks, agreed with Goldmark, saying that the new housing project isn’t in the most ideal spot. The Haight Street shoe business owner believes there should have been another store for attraction in that area to drive sales and said the housing project would do the opposite. 

“It’s just going to make it very difficult,” Ortega said “Just like when they included the bike lanes out on Valencia Street, which made parking even worse.”

Not only are business owners worried, but visitors are as well. 

Gary Browd, a long-time Haight-Ashbury resident of 35 years, frequents various Haight Street businesses like the Cantata Coffee Company, the post office, and the banks. Despite not using a car to commute to the stores, Browd still has his concerns with the new housing. 

“It could be a chain reaction effect on businesses here or parking, at least,” Browd said. “It’s not gonna be good for anyone the way that I see it.”

Other Haight-Ashbury merchants have a different perspective on the effects of no additional parking.

Camden Avery, the owner of The Booksmith just one block down from Amoeba Music, suspects the new renters will not be making median income and may not even have a car to drive or park.

 “Historically, there are a lot of people in the neighborhood who want to keep our parking spaces, but I don’t see it changing much, honestly,” Avery said. “But I also don’t drive.”

Optimists of the incoming housing said it may actually be beneficial to businesses in the neighborhood. Some merchants hypothesize the new residents will not have cars and will increase foot traffic because they will have to walk to nearby stores to get their goods.

“I definitely think parking is terrible for sure, but I think that it will just bring more people in general,” said Roman Michael, owner of 2nd Street Haight, a buy-and-sell clothing store.

Eliminating parking can be positive depending on whether the location is in a high-resource area. Haight Street is considered the highest-resourced area by the state, according to Bo Han, the senior project manager for 730 Stanyan.

When asked if residents of the new housing would increase business for local shops, Han said, “Why would people think that they wouldn’t? Just because they live in subsidized housing doesn’t mean they don’t shop at all. I think that’s a false notion that people have.”

A well-established shoe store John Fluevog is confident it will survive. 

Dee Deem, a Fluevog associate, said the store has been on Haight Street since 1997 and has sustained itself well throughout the years despite neighborhood changes. 

“It’s a fun vibe,” Deem said. “People come to this neighborhood because it’s historic.” Deem pumped her fist in the air and said, “this is Haight Street. It’s not over.”