The GrowSF Report: First time since 2020 voters are optimistic
PLUS: “Defund the police” activist removed from Police Commission by a 9-2 vote
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of February 23, 2025:
- First time since 2020 voters are optimistic
- “Defund the police” activist removed from Police Commission by a 9-2 vote
- Jefferson Square Park illegal drug market busted
- SFUSD to lay off hundreds due to budget crisis
- Mayor Lurie orders City Hall employees back to the office
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Shoji Japanese café opens in SoMa
First time since 2020: voters are optimistic
For the first time since 2020 (or since 2016 if you ignore the COVID bump), the average San Franciscan is feeling good about the city. A slim plurality think San Francisco is on the right track, and nearly half of people who thought the city was on the wrong track in October 2024 now say they “don’t know.” It’s a sign of cautious optimism for the new leadership in City Hall.
Also, a staggering 73% of San Franciscans want Mayor Lurie to focus on local issues while just 18% want him to focus on fighting Trump. 70% want to repeal the “SF Mandate” (which you may recognize from your exorbitant dinner bill), and an astronomical 92% want to make it cheaper, faster, and easier to get a business permit.
Read our full poll to get more insight on Lurie, downtown recovery, small business reform, remote work, and upzoning.
“Defund the police” activist removed from Police Commission by a 9-2 vote
Max Carter-Oberstone, a “defund the police” activist who until Tuesday sat on the Police Commission, is out. The Board of Supervisors just voted 9–2 to remove him from the Police Commission. Carter-Oberstone was appointed by former Mayor Breed to the Police Commission, which oversees the SFPD and sets use-of-force policies and had banned police from pursuing fleeing suspects. Breed was almost immediately unhappy with his votes and had tried to get him to resign. But since Breed didn’t have a majority of aligned Supervisors on the Board, we were all stuck with him.
But due to the November 2024 election, there’s now a majority of commonsense Supervisors who agreed with Mayor Lurie that Max had to go. Board President Rafael Mandelman and Supervisor Matt Dorsey both highlighted that the City Charter gives the Mayor the right to remove Mayoral appointees with Board consent, and that Supervisors should work with the Mayor, not against him.
The only Supervisors to vote against his removal were Jackie Fielder and Myrna Melgar.
According to the Chronicle, “Mattie Scott, a well-respected San Francisco anti-violence activist” is Lurie’s choice to fill the seat.
Jefferson Square Park illegal drug market busted
Jefferson Square Park’s illegal drug market is closed for business.
On Wednesday night, SFPD officers raided the park, arresting more than 80 people and breaking up illegal drug dealing, according to the Chronicle.
Mayor Daniel Lurie made his stance clear on Twitter:
SFUSD to lay off hundreds due to budget crisis
SF Unified School District, or SFUSD, has done little to address a growing deficit for the past decade. Now the consequences of that inattention have arrived. The new School Board, which is focused on proper fiscal management and ensuring we can pay great teachers the salaries they deserve, has announced that they will cut $113 million next year by laying off up to 837 positions.
The Standard reported that 395 teachers, counselors, and social workers,164 teacher aides, and 278 administrators were potentially affected by the layoffs. We reached out to School Board President Phil Kim to understand what’s happening better.
“We are not laying off 400 teachers,” Phil Kim told us. These layoffs are “position” layoffs, not staff layoffs - that means that if a credentialed teacher is doing something other than classroom work, their non-classroom position may be closed and they will be reassigned to teach. SFUSD also introduced early retirement incentives, which have seen over 300 employees opting in.
SFUSD and the SFBOE take our $113.8 million structural deficit very seriously. Regaining local control of our budget requires receiving a positive fiscal certification from the state, and the Board is fully committed to working with the superintendent to achieve a balanced budget that addresses this deficit.
With 80% of our expenditures allocated to our workforce, the district cannot sustain its current staffing levels, especially given the many years of declining student enrollment. To stabilize our budget, we are implementing multiple strategies, including layoffs. As required by state law, the Board approved preliminary layoff notifications for positions across the district on February 25. However, we remain committed to exploring every possible option to retain our educators and reassign staff wherever feasible.
- Phil Kim, President of the Board of Education
You can learn more and really get into the nitty-gritty details at sfusd.edu/budget
Mayor Lurie orders City Hall employees back to the office
City Hall is returning to the office! Employees must now work from their office four days a week at a minimum. In what’s sure to be a boon for Civic Center and Mid-Market, 10,000 government workers will commute downtown and grab lunch or run errands at surrounding businesses. Streets that were quiet on mid-week days should become much busier.
Most city employees—about 24,000 including jobs like Muni driver, street cleaner, and police—never had remote work as an option. But for the desk jobs concentrated in and around City Hall like IT, HR, and accounting, the hybrid honeymoon is over. Lurie wants them back by April 28, arguing that government runs better when people are physically in the same space.
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Shoji Japanese café opens in SoMa
Shoji, a high-end Japanese café and restaurant, has recently opened its doors on Montgomery St. in SoMa. It comes from chef Ingi "Shota" Son, the mind behind the Michelin-starred omakase spot The Shota. Right now, Shoji is in its soft-opening phase, serving coffee, tea, and light bites from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, but dinner service is coming soon! At Shoji, pour-overs are made with Cafec Deep 27 drippers, a refined version of the V60 that allows for more precise extraction. Staff provides detailed tasting notes with every drink, and the specialty menu includes options like the Tosō cold brew cocktail, which is like a warm sake.
WHERE: 140 New Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
Come watch ‘Fault Lines’ – A documentary on San Francisco’s housing crisis
Join GLIDE's Center for Social Justice and the Nor Cal Carpenters Union for an exclusive screening of Fault Lines, a documentary that explores San Francisco’s decades-long battle for affordable housing and the breaking point it has reached. An official selection of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Fault Lines takes a street-level approach to the intersecting issues of housing affordability, homelessness, and local policies.
The 80-minute screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Nate Houghteling alongside experts in Housing Production, Preservation, and Tenant Protection, including California State Senator Scott Wiener, with more speakers to be announced.
WHEN: Thursday, March 20, 2025, 6 PM – 8 PM
WHERE: GLIDE Memorial Church Sanctuary, 330 Ellis St., San Francisco, CA 94102
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
David Bowie dance party at Cat Club
Celebrate the iconic sounds of David Bowie at the Cat Club's "LET'S DANCE" party. Join fellow fans on Friday, March 7, 2025, for a night filled with Bowie's greatest hits and the music of artists he inspired. With two dance floors, four DJs, and Bowie-themed karaoke in the front room, this event promises an unforgettable experience. Doors open at 9 PM, and the party continues until 2 AM. Tickets are available for $11.33.
WHEN: Friday, March 7, 2025, 9 PM–2 AM
WHERE: Cat Club, 1190 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Superfine Art Fair at Fort Mason
Experience the art scene at the Superfine Art Fair, returning to San Francisco from March 6 to 9, 2025. Held at the Gateway Pavilion at Pier 2 in Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, this event features over 150 emerging and established artists showcasing a diverse range of contemporary artworks. Attendees can engage directly with artists, explore various mediums, and acquire original pieces.
WHEN: March 6–9, 2025; Thursday–Saturday: 12 PM–8 PM, Sunday: 12 PM–6 PM
WHERE: Gateway Pavilion at Pier 2, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123
Late Night Revelry at Grace Cathedral
The magic of Grace Cathedral’s Carnivale gala doesn’t stop at dinner—The Late Night Revelry brings a whole new vibe. Expect an open bar, live beats from The Chris Clouse Project, and a Vanity Portrait Studio to capture you looking your best—with a masquerade twist, of course.
This is the after-party where the crowd lets loose, and the grandeur of Grace Cathedral transforms into an upscale, after-hours affair. Tickets start at $100 for one to the after party, and $165 for a duo. Every dollar supports the cathedral’s community initiatives—so you can party with a purpose. Read our review of the gala last year.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 8:45 pm – 11:00 pm
WHERE: Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, San Francisco
‘Raymonda’ at SF Ballet
San Francisco Ballet presents Tamara Rojo's reimagining of "Raymonda," set during the 19th-century Crimean War. This adaptation portrays Raymonda as a woman ahead of her time, reflecting the resilience and compassion of Florence Nightingale. The production features Alexander Glazunov's score, performed by the Grammy Award-winning SF Ballet Orchestra.
WHEN: March 1–8, 2025
WHERE: War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
What we’re writing about
What I love about Chinatown, San Francisco
San Francisco’s Chinatown is a living, breathing experience, wrapped in the scent of fresh pastries, the clatter of mahjong tiles, and the hum of a city within a city. A stop at AA Bakery and Cafe means buttery egg tarts straight from the oven, a quiet seat among Cantonese chatter, and a reminder that some things here never change. Wandering Stockton Street brings memories of childhood shopping trips, where live crabs scrambled in bins and Sundays meant navigating the organized chaos of produce vendors. From dim sum haunts to late-night karaoke at Bow Bow Lounge, from mural-lined alleyways to historic tea shops, Chinatown is a place to return to, time and time again.
How Lunar New Year at SF Symphony set the tone for 2025
At the SF Symphony’s Lunar New Year gala, the music wasn’t the only thing keeping us entertained. Between an LED-lit dragon weaving through the concert hall, an electric performance by Wu Man, and Mayor Daniel Lurie’s rallying words about San Francisco’s resilience, the night was already packed with spectacle.
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