Photo: View from the top of Casa Adelante -681 Florida
Under sunny skies, a ray of hope during the pandemic occurred today at noon. That’s when an exciting topping out ceremony was held at Casa Adelante – 681 Florida, the 100% affordable-housing new construction from MEDA and partner Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC). Casa Adelante – 681 Florida is MEDA’s fourth brand-new property in San Francisco’s Mission District.
The nine-story development (former address 2070 Bryant), designed by Mithun architects, calls for 130 affordable apartment rentals for families. There will be 42% of units as two bedrooms or larger, with 30% of apartments set aside for formerly homeless families. The property has an anticipated Q2/2023 move-in date.
The chronic issue of securing affordable and stable housing became even more important during the COVID-19 crisis. A MEDA housing survey showed that 47% of our Latino and immigrant neighbors live in overcrowded conditions, making it near impossible to self-quarantine if one falls ill to the virus. That’s why despite the challenges of the pandemic, MEDA continued unabated its work around affordable housing in San Francisco, as evidenced by Casa Adelante – 681 Florida now reaching toward the sky.
In a nod to the site’s former arts history as CellSpace, Carnaval San Francisco will have a permanent home on the first floor. Also, there will be inspirational murals. A quartet of talented artists — Cece Carpio, Josué Rojas, Carlos Gonzalez and Miguel Bounce Perez — have been selected to bring the building’s walls to life, and they will be seeking community input on the mural design on Thursday, Oct. 7, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. during a Zoom meeting (link: https://tndc.zoom.us/j/89145576217) to which all community members are invited.
All in all, Casa Adelante – 681 Florida is proving to be a much-needed building that will seamlessly blend into the fabric of the Mission District; it is an integral part of MEDA turning the trend of displacement of Latinos in this long-welcoming immigrant hub. If you’re in the area, you are encouraged to stop by to see the progress being made week to week.
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Stay informed: 681florida@medasf.org.
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