A landlord who has reportedly evicted dozens of tenants has won approval to open a bar on the site of a historic dive, with the help of a former Democratic leader who faces accusations of sexual assault.
During a lengthy meeting Thursday, the city’s Planning Commission awarded Kaushik Dattani a conditional-use permit to operate Kiitos in the Mission space that was occupied for 40 years by the Uptown bar before he allegedly forced it to shutter in January.
The decision was a defeat for the owners and loyal customers of Uptown, which opened in 1984 at 200 Capp St. and was recognized by the city as a legacy business.
“I think it’s awful,” Uptown regular Marty Sargeant said after the vote. “He was instrumental in shutting the other bar down.”
Sargeant was among nine neighbors and former Uptown owners and staff who waited four hours to protest Dattani’s plans during a public commentary period.
“He’s renowned for being greedy and not community-minded,” said Barbara Attard, another Uptown regular and local police accountability consultant.
But Dattani — along with his “strategic services consultant” Kevin Ortiz, the former co-president of the Latinx Democratic Club who is accused by multiple women of sexual assault — presented plans that got the go-ahead from the commissioners in a 4-3 vote.
“It’s a matter of the use, not the user,” commissioner Theresa Imperial said shortly before the vote.
Ortiz said the bar will hire locals, host drag shows and live music, and offer 17 beers on tap; it will also have billiards, darts, and arcade games, according to a presentation. Supporters told the commission they expect Kiitos to bring “economic benefits” and “diversity” to the Mission.
Dattani said the bar is fully built out and could open in two months, once the liquor license is approved.
Former staff and owners blamed Dattani for Uptown’s closure, saying he charged excessively high rent and was inflexible during negotiations over a new lease.
“We did not willingly leave,” Uptown managing partner Shea Green said during public comment. “We were faced with an impossible lease.”
In a letter to the commission, Uptown co-owner Ken Cohen said Dattani charged unaffordable rent that was above market rate. A five-year lease signed in 2019 charged the owners $9,500 a month. When it came up for renewal, Dattani offered monthly rent at $7,750; Cohen’s letter said that was 30% above market rate. Saddled with Covid-era loans, the owners opted not to sign.
Dattani claimed in a January planning application that the owners voluntarily left.
“Despite landlord’s efforts to encourage them to stay, by giving them a 30% reduction in rent, going forward, the seven partners within the previous tenancy could not come to an agreement between themselves,” Dattani wrote in the application.
During the meeting, the seven planning commissioners appeared uneasy at the prospect of approving Dattani’s bar, given his reputation as a serial evictor.
Commissioner Gilbert Williams showed the most vociferous opposition to the plans, saying he’s worried about gentrification and there should be stronger protections for legacy businesses.
“What I’m hearing is that there’s not much protection designating a business a legacy business,” Williams said shortly before the vote. “That’s concerning, especially in neighborhoods like the Mission district, which has seen so much displacement.”
Despite losing the vote, Cohen said there was a silver lining in the commission’s wariness to approve the new bar.
“There was a sense of vindication,” Cohen said. “We had a moral victory.”