San Francisco Housing Authority Executive Office
EDWIN M. LEE, MAYOR Rev. Amos C. Brown, Chairman
*****FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***** DATE: May 15, 2012 CONTACT MEDIA RELATIONS: 415-713-2178 BELOVED ROSA PARKS SENIOR CENTER REOPENS Mayor Edwin Lee and Other Community Leaders to Cut the Ribbon on the $1.9 Million Newly Renovated Public Housing Senior Center that will Serve Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities, and Veterans San Francisco, California, Rosa Parks Senior Center originally built in 1960, on the campus of Rosa Parks Housing Development, a high rise public housing apartment site located in the Fillmore will be reopening its doors again today, Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 11:30 a.m.. The center, located on 1251 Turk Street is formally the site of Yerba Buena Annex and many in the community referred to it as the “Pink Palace.” In 1981, under the Feinstein Mayoral Administration, the San Francisco Housing Commission voted unanimously to convert the high rise to senior housing. Over the next few decades, senior citizens moved in. The Senior Center, attached to the courtyard, was for over a half a century a place where residents could engage in recreation and seek support services. But the center had not had any upgrades since it was built in 1960. Although several million dollars was spent on the 200 unit building in the early 1980’s to ready it for new residents, none was spent on the Senior Center. The center had no heat, all original and outdated fixtures, and very poor accessibility. In order to address the need for renovations, the San Francisco Housing Authority applied for President Obama’s American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) monies through the Department of United States Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) competitive grant program: Capital Fund Recovery Competition grant (CFRC). These monies were only to be used for “non-dwelling” purposes. The Authority was selected and completed the renovations in approximately ten months. “The new center will be used not only to serve our clients but for the greater community and we look forward to seeing everyone return to enjoying the center for many of their recreational, social, and health needs,” said Mr. Henry Alvarez III, Executive Director. Ribbon Cutting to Commence: 11:30 a.m. at Rosa Parks Senior Center, Tuesday, May 15, 2012 Parking on Golden Gate Avenue, enter facility through Golden Gate Avenue Gate For more information on the Authority go to: www.sfha.org