Urban renewal is transforming San Francisco’s Western Addition on two fronts: in Japantown and in what is now being called the Historic Fillmore Jazz Preservation District.
The biggest news is the introduction of the nearly $80 million mixed-use Fillmore Heritage Center.
“This is a development project that the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency has been trying to develop for 20 years,” says Michael Johnson, president of Em Johnson Interests, developer of the new Fillmore Heritage Center.
The Fillmore Heritage Center is anchored by the renowned Yoshi’s Jazz Club and Japanese Restaurant, and the 1300 on Fillmore soul food dining venue. It also includes the nonprofit Jazz Heritage Center, housing a jazz art gallery, gift shop and screening room, all meant to promote jazz education.
All parts of the center are open to groups.
“For larger events, one of our most popular spots has been the mezzanine lounge, which holds 100 people standing,” says Naomi Smith, Yoshi’s director of private events.
Groups can host evening receptions and move into the club for an 8 p.m. jazz performance. The combined Yoshi’s lounge and dining spaces can seat 370 and the club seats 400.
Change is also taking place in Japantown, the oldest of three remaining in the U.S.
“The impetus for change is complex,” says Robert Hamaguchi, executive director of the Japantown Task Force. “We’ve had a shrinking Japanese and Japanese American presence in the neighborhood and at the same time there has been a need for updating changes made during redevelopment that took place in the ’60s. There were flaws in the redevelopment that need to be corrected, such as Geary Boulevard, which divided what was once a single community in Western Addition and created unsafe pedestrian crossings not conducive to promoting the community.”
There is talk of a new dedicated bus lane for Geary Boulevard and the reworking of Japan Center, comprising two buildings that house many of Japantown’s restaurants and businesses.
A definite project in the works is the J-Pop Center, a new construction across the street from the current Japan Center that will feature a 125-seat theater spotlighting Japanese film, including anime and manga. It will also have 10,000 square feet of Japanese pop culture retail establishments and a bookstore. Plans call for a spring 2009 debut.
Sundance purchased and renovated the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, which now includes a restaurant and lounge that groups can rent out. Joie de Vivre Hotels also recently renovated two existing Japantown properties and reopened them as the Best Western Hotel Tomo and Hotel Kabuki, each with Japanese themes.
Also being introduced this month is a self-guided history walk through Japantown, spanning 10 blocks and featuring 16 interpretive panels, many mounted on buildings. A good starting point is in the Peace Plaza of the Japan Center, which is home to Japantown’s Cherry Blossom Festival. The tour is posted at the website of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California (www.jccnc.org).
