Andrew Gilbert

In revealing overlooked corners of American history, Julia Bullock often ends up making history of her own.&nbsp;

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In revealing overlooked corners of American history, Julia Bullock often ends up making history of her own.&nbsp;

One of the most celebrated sopranos to emerge in the past decade, Bullock hasn’t relied upon the usual suspects to build her career. While her repertoire encompasses Franz Schubert lieder, Samuel Barber&#8217;s “Hermit Songs” and Gabriel Fauré&#8217;s “La chanson d&#8217;Eve,” she first made an indelible impression in the Bay Area interpreting music written by (or for) pioneering Black artists such as Josephine Baker, Alberta Hunter, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.&nbsp;

One of the most celebrated sopranos to emerge in the past decade, Bullock hasn’t relied upon the usual suspects to build her career. While her repertoire encompasses Franz Schubert lieder, Samuel Barber's “Hermit Songs” and Gabriel Fauré's “La chanson d'Eve,” she first made an indelible impression in the Bay Area interpreting music written by (or for) pioneering Black artists such as Josephine Baker, Alberta Hunter, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.&nbsp;

One of the most celebrated sopranos to emerge in the past decade, Bullock hasn’t relied upon the usual suspects to build her career. While her repertoire encompasses Franz Schubert lieder, Samuel Barber&#8217;s “Hermit Songs” and Gabriel Fauré&#8217;s “La chanson d&#8217;Eve,” she first made an indelible impression in the Bay Area interpreting music written by (or for) pioneering Black artists such as Josephine Baker, Alberta Hunter, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.&nbsp;

But Bullock isn’t interested in simply shedding light on artists long neglected in symphonic and chamber music settings. She’s determined to expand the possibilities for other singers today by collaborating with living artists. On May 17 she returns to Davies Symphony Hall with members of the San Francisco Symphony for a performance focusing on music by leading Black women composers.&nbsp;

But Bullock isn’t interested in simply shedding light on artists long neglected in symphonic and chamber music settings. She’s determined to expand the possibilities for other singers today by collaborating with living artists. On May 17 she returns to Davies Symphony Hall with members of the San Francisco Symphony for a performance focusing on music by leading Black women composers.&nbsp;

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In her role as San Francisco Symphony Collaborative Partner, Bullock presents her evolving program <a href="https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2021-22/Julia-Bullock-Historys-Persistent-Voice">History’s Persistent Voice</a>, which she originally conceived in 2018 as part of her season-long residency at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Tuesday’s iteration includes Jessie Montgomery’s “Five Freedom Songs” (an SF Symphony co-commission); the world premieres of Carolyn Yarnell’s “I Come Up the Hard Way” and “ain’t my home;” and the world premiere of “Quilt,” an SF Symphony commission by San Francisco sonic explorer Pamela Z.&nbsp;

In her role as San Francisco Symphony Collaborative Partner, Bullock presents her evolving program <a href="https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2021-22/Julia-Bullock-Historys-Persistent-Voice">History’s Persistent Voice</a>, which she originally conceived in 2018 as part of her season-long residency at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Tuesday’s iteration includes Jessie Montgomery’s “Five Freedom Songs” (an SF Symphony co-commission); the world premieres of Carolyn Yarnell’s “I Come Up the Hard Way” and “ain’t my home;” and the world premiere of “Quilt,” an SF Symphony commission by San Francisco sonic explorer Pamela Z.&nbsp;

Presented without intermission, the 75-minute concert is a multimedia production that unfolds amidst an immersive video installation designed by Los Angeles visual artist Hana S. Kim. There’s also an audio element that provides interstitial transitions, employing recorded recitation of texts written by generations of people who were enslaved.&nbsp;

Presented without intermission, the 75-minute concert is a multimedia production that unfolds amidst an immersive video installation designed by Los Angeles visual artist Hana S. Kim. There’s also an audio element that provides interstitial transitions, employing recorded recitation of texts written by generations of people who were enslaved.&nbsp;

In a recent video call with The Standard from Munich, Germany, Bullock said that curating her own programs with new works written for her has been an integral part of her creative process since she was young.

In a recent video call with The Standard from Munich, Germany, Bullock said that curating her own programs with new works written for her has been an integral part of her creative process since she was young.

“The collaborative process is really involved and amazing,” Bullock said. “It’s so important to get new music out into the world. And to recognize that singers are not just tools that other people use.”

“The collaborative process is really involved and amazing,” Bullock said. “It’s so important to get new music out into the world. And to recognize that singers are not just tools that other people use.”

Bullock provided the composers with plenty of material for inspiration. She designed the Met concert in conjunction with the exhibition History Refused to Die, which featured pieces from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation, an organization that promotes the work of contemporary Black Southern artists. The exhibition included nine quilts by the extraordinary women textile artists of Gees Bend (now Boykin), Alabama. These images were used by Kim in her immersive visual design.&nbsp;

Bullock provided the composers with plenty of material for inspiration. She designed the Met concert in conjunction with the exhibition History Refused to Die, which featured pieces from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation, an organization that promotes the work of contemporary Black Southern artists. The exhibition included nine quilts by the extraordinary women textile artists of Gees Bend (now Boykin), Alabama. These images were used by Kim in her immersive visual design.&nbsp;

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The project was inspired by Bullock’s discovery of songs collected in the South from people recently liberated from slavery. In commissioning the composers, she circulated the tunes along with poetry by men serving prison sentences and interviews with Gees Bend quilters. “I’m interested in utilizing and memorializing these voices,” she said.

The project was inspired by Bullock’s discovery of songs collected in the South from people recently liberated from slavery. In commissioning the composers, she circulated the tunes along with poetry by men serving prison sentences and interviews with Gees Bend quilters. “I’m interested in utilizing and memorializing these voices,” she said.

Z, who performs Saturday at <a href="http://www.riotheatre.com/events-2/2021/12/5/pamelaz">Santa Cruz’s Rio Theatre</a>, has been a major figure on the Bay Area’s experimental music scene for nearly four decades. She’s best known as a performer who radically reconfigures her lush, classically trained soprano via live electronic processing, the occasional found object and samples triggered with a MIDI controller called <a href="http://www.pamelaz.com/bodysynth.html">The BodySynth</a>. Creating loops to accompany herself with own voice, she seems to pull sounds out of thin air with her graceful, Tai Chi-like vocabulary of hand and arm movements, building aural collages that play with language, or simply explore the shape of sound.&nbsp;

Z, who performs Saturday at <a href="http://www.riotheatre.com/events-2/2021/12/5/pamelaz">Santa Cruz’s Rio Theatre</a>, has been a major figure on the Bay Area’s experimental music scene for nearly four decades. She’s best known as a performer who radically reconfigures her lush, classically trained soprano via live electronic processing, the occasional found object and samples triggered with a MIDI controller called <a href="http://www.pamelaz.com/bodysynth.html">The BodySynth</a>. Creating loops to accompany herself with own voice, she seems to pull sounds out of thin air with her graceful, Tai Chi-like vocabulary of hand and arm movements, building aural collages that play with language, or simply explore the shape of sound.&nbsp;

“She’s an otherworldly singer who’s really ventured into composing and I’m so thrilled she was available and interested,” Bullock said.

“She’s an otherworldly singer who’s really ventured into composing and I’m so thrilled she was available and interested,” Bullock said.

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Bullock discovered Carolyn Yarnell through the Yale School of Music, which commissioned the alumna’s pieces “I Come Up the Hard Way and “ain’t my home” (due to pandemic postponements San Francisco audiences get to experience the premieres before Yale). A recipient of the Rome Prize, Charles Ives Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, Yarnell earned her undergraduate degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1986.&nbsp;

Bullock discovered Carolyn Yarnell through the Yale School of Music, which commissioned the alumna’s pieces “I Come Up the Hard Way and “ain’t my home” (due to pandemic postponements San Francisco audiences get to experience the premieres before Yale). A recipient of the Rome Prize, Charles Ives Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, Yarnell earned her undergraduate degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1986.&nbsp;

“When I heard her first symphony from a reading at Tangelwood it just blew me the fuck away,” Bullock said. “Such amazing fury and passion and gentleness swirling together.”&nbsp;

“When I heard her first symphony from a reading at Tangelwood it just blew me the fuck away,” Bullock said. “Such amazing fury and passion and gentleness swirling together.”&nbsp;

Learning about Yarnell, Bullock was struck by her resistance to being categorized and her embrace of African-American themes. “Early in her career she did not want anyone to identify her as a Black composer,” Bullock said of Yarnell. “But all of her compositions have to do with the Black experience and the challenges Black people face, and not in a coded way.”

Learning about Yarnell, Bullock was struck by her resistance to being categorized and her embrace of African-American themes. “Early in her career she did not want anyone to identify her as a Black composer,” Bullock said of Yarnell. “But all of her compositions have to do with the Black experience and the challenges Black people face, and not in a coded way.”

The question of identity and how one presents in a field that has only reluctantly yielded to Black performers cuts deeply for Bullock. It flows directly out of her experience as the daughter of an African-American father and white mother who defied racial (and other) conventions in straight-laced St. Louis. As Yoga-practicing vegans, her family embraced various alternative paths. But her father’s death after years of illness left the 9-year-old Bullock with many questions just as she was coming to understand her cultural heritage.

The question of identity and how one presents in a field that has only reluctantly yielded to Black performers cuts deeply for Bullock. It flows directly out of her experience as the daughter of an African-American father and white mother who defied racial (and other) conventions in straight-laced St. Louis. As Yoga-practicing vegans, her family embraced various alternative paths. But her father’s death after years of illness left the 9-year-old Bullock with many questions just as she was coming to understand her cultural heritage.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Julia_Bullock_9_©Allison_Michael_Orenstein.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49872"/><figcaption>Julia Bullock | 21C Media Group Inc.</figcaption></figure>

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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Julia_Bullock_9_©Allison_Michael_Orenstein.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49872"/><figcaption>Julia Bullock | 21C Media Group Inc.</figcaption></figure>

“I identify as white as much as Black, but I need to delve into every single part of who I am,” she said. “I needed to be able to talk about that on stage, and that’s helped me own more of my identity and express myself more freely.”

“I identify as white as much as Black, but I need to delve into every single part of who I am,” she said. “I needed to be able to talk about that on stage, and that’s helped me own more of my identity and express myself more freely.”

She started attracting critical attention during her student days on the East Coast, which she spent at Eastman School of Music and Bard (where she studied with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyfFxkyLsQQ">Dawn Upshaw</a>). Bullock eventually made a crucial Bay Area connection while studying in Juilliard’s artistic diploma program; it was there that she met Michael Tilson Thomas, who invited her to perform with the SF Symphony, and she’s been a regular presence here ever since.&nbsp;

She started attracting critical attention during her student days on the East Coast, which she spent at Eastman School of Music and Bard (where she studied with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyfFxkyLsQQ">Dawn Upshaw</a>). Bullock eventually made a crucial Bay Area connection while studying in Juilliard’s artistic diploma program; it was there that she met Michael Tilson Thomas, who invited her to perform with the SF Symphony, and she’s been a regular presence here ever since.&nbsp;

Even with the pandemic keeping her homebound for much of the past two years, Bullock has made her presence felt in the Bay Area. A few weeks ago Jon Else’s riveting documentary The Golden West made its California premiere at the Castro Theatre as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival. Exploring the making of John Adams and Peter Sellars’ revisionist Gold Rush opera, Girls of the Golden West, which premiered at SF Opera in 2017, the film is a good deal more successful than the production, partly due to Bullock’s luminous presence.&nbsp;

Even with the pandemic keeping her homebound for much of the past two years, Bullock has made her presence felt in the Bay Area. A few weeks ago Jon Else’s riveting documentary The Golden West made its California premiere at the Castro Theatre as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival. Exploring the making of John Adams and Peter Sellars’ revisionist Gold Rush opera, Girls of the Golden West, which premiered at SF Opera in 2017, the film is a good deal more successful than the production, partly due to Bullock’s luminous presence.&nbsp;

Her ties to the SF Symphony are practically familial, as Christian Reif, the orchestra’s former resident conductor, is her husband. He’ll be handling the baton Tuesday for History’s Persistent Voice.

Her ties to the SF Symphony are practically familial, as Christian Reif, the orchestra’s former resident conductor, is her husband. He’ll be handling the baton Tuesday for History’s Persistent Voice.

“The Bay Area really has provided a platform for me to grow and develop in a similar way that New York did,” she said. “It’s so beautiful all the interconnections with artists, composers, musicians and this bridge with MTT handing over to Esa-Pekka Salonen.”

“The Bay Area really has provided a platform for me to grow and develop in a similar way that New York did,” she said. “It’s so beautiful all the interconnections with artists, composers, musicians and this bridge with MTT handing over to Esa-Pekka Salonen.”

Julia Bullock centers Black women composers in ‘History’s Persistent Voice’ at SF Symphony

Annie Gaus

The construction on Van Ness Avenue—a source of perpetual vexation and confusion by many people who use the corridor—has emerged as a case study in how not to manage a major capital project.

The construction on Van Ness Avenue—a source of perpetual vexation and confusion by many people who use the corridor—has emerged as a case study in how not to manage a major capital project.

That’s according to a new report by the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury, a civilian oversight body that investigates and issues <a href="https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/report.html">reports on city government.</a> In it, jurors traced the nearly 20-year history of the <a href="https://www.sfmta.com/projects/van-ness-improvement-project">Van Ness Improvement Project</a>—which centers around a bus lane designed to speed up transit—and found a number of missteps that triggered at least $37 million in cost overruns and dragged out construction for years. SFMTA, the agency in charge of the project, expects the project to conclude in 2022, nearly three years behind schedule.&nbsp;

That’s according to a new report by the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury, a civilian oversight body that investigates and issues <a href="https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/report.html">reports on city government.</a> In it, jurors traced the nearly 20-year history of the <a href="https://www.sfmta.com/projects/van-ness-improvement-project">Van Ness Improvement Project</a>—which centers around a bus lane designed to speed up transit—and found a number of missteps that triggered at least $37 million in cost overruns and dragged out construction for years. SFMTA, the agency in charge of the project, expects the project to conclude in 2022, nearly three years behind schedule.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“From the jury’s estimation, this is the first report that really encapsulates the whole project,” said Simone Manganelli, grand juror and chairperson for the Van Ness investigation. “If the city is actually going to learn from this report, they should be doing these project post-mortems on their own. Increasing transparency would really increase trust.”&nbsp;</blockquote>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1875" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_1161-2500x1875.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5658"/><figcaption>Construction at Van Ness and Sacramento on June 30, 2021. The improvement project on the corridor is expected to finish next year, nearly three years behind schedule. | Photo by Annie Gaus</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_1161-2500x1875.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5658"/><figcaption>Construction at Van Ness and Sacramento on June 30, 2021. The improvement project on the corridor is expected to finish next year, nearly three years behind schedule. | Photo by Annie Gaus</figcaption></figure>

The <a href="https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2020_2021/2021%20CGJ%20Report_Van%20Ness%20Avenue%20-%20What%20Lies%20Beneath.pdf">report</a> found that the Van Ness project, which was originally conceived in 2004 as part of a broader transit overhaul, suffered from a botched planning process that didn’t properly account for extensive underground utility work needed to see the project through. Discord between the city and a lead contractor, Walsh Construction, exacerbated the delays.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/2020_2021/2021%20CGJ%20Report_Van%20Ness%20Avenue%20-%20What%20Lies%20Beneath.pdf">report</a> found that the Van Ness project, which was originally conceived in 2004 as part of a broader transit overhaul, suffered from a botched planning process that didn’t properly account for extensive underground utility work needed to see the project through. Discord between the city and a lead contractor, Walsh Construction, exacerbated the delays.&nbsp;

Early on in the planning phase, SFMTA chose a center-lane design for the new bus lane, dubbed Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which they determined would increase transit efficiency on the corridor. Van Ness is among the most well-traveled streets in the city, and serves as a key crosstown artery as well as a conduit to U.S. Highway 101.&nbsp;

Early on in the planning phase, SFMTA chose a center-lane design for the new bus lane, dubbed Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which they determined would increase transit efficiency on the corridor. Van Ness is among the most well-traveled streets in the city, and serves as a key crosstown artery as well as a conduit to U.S. Highway 101.&nbsp;

According to the report, one of the most consequential early errors was that SFMTA didn’t engage a contractor until the design was nearly 70 percent complete. Industry best practices dictate that contractors for capital projects be involved much earlier, in part to better identify potential risks and complications.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the report, one of the most consequential early errors was that SFMTA didn’t engage a contractor until the design was nearly 70 percent complete. Industry best practices dictate that contractors for capital projects be involved much earlier, in part to better identify potential risks and complications.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the case of Van Ness BRT, the proposed center bus lane sat atop a line of aging underground utilities, which makes future maintenance very difficult. That rendered the initial project timeline, which didn’t account for the need to move that underground infrastructure, infeasible before construction even began. To locate the underground utilities, the city had to undertake “potholing,” or drilling into streets, and put much of that work off until construction had already begun.&nbsp;

In the case of Van Ness BRT, the proposed center bus lane sat atop a line of aging underground utilities, which makes future maintenance very difficult. That rendered the initial project timeline, which didn’t account for the need to move that underground infrastructure, infeasible before construction even began. To locate the underground utilities, the city had to undertake “potholing,” or drilling into streets, and put much of that work off until construction had already begun.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“In the 2006 feasibility study…the possibility of having to move the underground utilities to the side wasn’t even mentioned,” Manganelli added. “The possibility of unknown, underground infrastructure was one of the top risks to the project, and it was nowhere planned.”&nbsp;</blockquote>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1875" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_1162-2500x1875.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5665"/><figcaption>Cars and buses maneuver past a dig at Van Ness and McAllister streets on June 30, 2021. | Photo by Annie Gaus</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_1162-2500x1875.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5665"/><figcaption>Cars and buses maneuver past a dig at Van Ness and McAllister streets on June 30, 2021. | Photo by Annie Gaus</figcaption></figure>

Not long after construction began in 2016, the city’s relationship with Walsh—which was appointed as the general contractor for the project—appeared to break down. According to the report, Walsh needed to hire a subcontractor to perform the underground work. The city balked at a $20 million quote that the subcontractor, Synergy Project Management, provided. A subsequent rebidding process yielded only one subcontractor applicant, which charged $30 million.&nbsp;

Not long after construction began in 2016, the city’s relationship with Walsh—which was appointed as the general contractor for the project—appeared to break down. According to the report, Walsh needed to hire a subcontractor to perform the underground work. The city balked at a $20 million quote that the subcontractor, Synergy Project Management, provided. A subsequent rebidding process yielded only one subcontractor applicant, which charged $30 million.&nbsp;

Having little choice but to accept the new, more expensive contract, Walsh’s expected profits on the project evaporated. The general contractor was incentivized to cut costs as much as possible, and the city and Walsh bickered over seemingly minor details like who would pay for “pedestrian monitors” to ensure that residents could cross the street safely.&nbsp;

Having little choice but to accept the new, more expensive contract, Walsh’s expected profits on the project evaporated. The general contractor was incentivized to cut costs as much as possible, and the city and Walsh bickered over seemingly minor details like who would pay for “pedestrian monitors” to ensure that residents could cross the street safely.&nbsp;

Collectively, the missteps set off a chain reaction of ballooning costs and long delays that confounded many residents.&nbsp;

Collectively, the missteps set off a chain reaction of ballooning costs and long delays that confounded many residents.&nbsp;

Initially, SFMTA estimated the total project cost at $309 million, a figure that included a $28 million cushion for contingency. Unanticipated construction costs, as well as funding for city personnel and other ongoing needs, pushed the latest project total to $346 million.&nbsp;

Initially, SFMTA estimated the total project cost at $309 million, a figure that included a $28 million cushion for contingency. Unanticipated construction costs, as well as funding for city personnel and other ongoing needs, pushed the latest project total to $346 million.&nbsp;

The construction also took a toll on locals, <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/businesses-hurt-by-van-ness-construction-get-city-aid-but-no-money/">particularly merchants along Van Ness</a>.&nbsp;

The construction also took a toll on locals, <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/businesses-hurt-by-van-ness-construction-get-city-aid-but-no-money/">particularly merchants along Van Ness</a>.&nbsp;

As construction debris, noise and general chaos choked the street, a number of businesses on Van Ness shuttered permanently. The extended construction was particularly hard on restaurants, with some proprietors reporting <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2019/11/26/restaurants-impact-van-ness-construction-sf-oewd.html">significant drops in revenue</a> due to customers avoiding the street entirely.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As construction debris, noise and general chaos choked the street, a number of businesses on Van Ness shuttered permanently. The extended construction was particularly hard on restaurants, with some proprietors reporting <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2019/11/26/restaurants-impact-van-ness-construction-sf-oewd.html">significant drops in revenue</a> due to customers avoiding the street entirely.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Last year, the city began offering <a href="https://oewd.org/van-ness-improvement-directed-business-support">grants of between $5,000 and $10,000</a> to businesses affected by the construction, but hasn’t yet distributed any funds, according to an SFMTA spokesperson. Merchants say that while the grant offers were appreciated, they don’t make up for the significant lost business.&nbsp;

Last year, the city began offering <a href="https://oewd.org/van-ness-improvement-directed-business-support">grants of between $5,000 and $10,000</a> to businesses affected by the construction, but hasn’t yet distributed any funds, according to an SFMTA spokesperson. Merchants say that while the grant offers were appreciated, they don’t make up for the significant lost business.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“We probably fared better than a lot of merchants on the street because we have an established clientele,” said Brian Bruckner, owner of Big Swingin’ Cycles at Van Ness and Vallejo. “What I don’t know is: How many potential new customers did I lose with people saying ‘I don’t want to go down there, it’s a total mess?’”</blockquote>

Bruckner, who sells, repairs and rents bikes, said that his rental business in particular suffered as the construction dragged on. The city also installed a chain-link fence in front of the store early on in the construction phase, which he believes attracted break-ins and other disturbances.&nbsp;

Bruckner, who sells, repairs and rents bikes, said that his rental business in particular suffered as the construction dragged on. The city also installed a chain-link fence in front of the store early on in the construction phase, which he believes attracted break-ins and other disturbances.&nbsp;

“Everyone just knows to avoid Van Ness,” Bruckner added.&nbsp;

“Everyone just knows to avoid Van Ness,” Bruckner added.&nbsp;

The Civil Grand Jury issued a number of recommendations to SFMTA and other city departments that were involved in the Van Ness project, including the Public Utilities Commission and the Board of Supervisors, that could help the city avoid future boondoggles. 

The Civil Grand Jury issued a number of recommendations to SFMTA and other city departments that were involved in the Van Ness project, including the Public Utilities Commission and the Board of Supervisors, that could help the city avoid future boondoggles.

Those recommendations include publishing an itemized assessment of risks for all capital projects, along with specific procedures that will mitigate those risks. The city should also formally adopt industry best practices on when to engage a contractor, among other improvements. 

Those recommendations include publishing an itemized assessment of risks for all capital projects, along with specific procedures that will mitigate those risks. The city should also formally adopt industry best practices on when to engage a contractor, among other improvements.

An earlier audit by the San Francisco Controller&#8217;s Office found other <a href="https://www.publiccommentsf.com/post/sf-budget-office-lack-of-accountability-drives-delays-higher-costs-in-transit-projects">examples of mismanagement</a> in capital projects, estimating millions in cost overruns due to poor communication and collaboration. SFMTA’s 20-year plan includes $31 billion in capital projects spanning route expansion, street safety improvements and more.

An earlier audit by the San Francisco Controller's Office found other <a href="https://www.publiccommentsf.com/post/sf-budget-office-lack-of-accountability-drives-delays-higher-costs-in-transit-projects">examples of mismanagement</a> in capital projects, estimating millions in cost overruns due to poor communication and collaboration. SFMTA’s 20-year plan includes $31 billion in capital projects spanning route expansion, street safety improvements and more.

An earlier audit by the San Francisco Controller&#8217;s Office found other <a href="https://www.publiccommentsf.com/post/sf-budget-office-lack-of-accountability-drives-delays-higher-costs-in-transit-projects">examples of mismanagement</a> in capital projects, estimating millions in cost overruns due to poor communication and collaboration. SFMTA’s 20-year plan includes $31 billion in capital projects spanning route expansion, street safety improvements and more.

“Van Ness is not the only one—Central Subway is another example, and a lot of capital projects have these types of problems,” added Manganelli. “We hope the city can be transparent going forward.”&nbsp;

“Van Ness is not the only one—Central Subway is another example, and a lot of capital projects have these types of problems,” added Manganelli. “We hope the city can be transparent going forward.”&nbsp;

Van Ness dysfunction: Botched planning led to $37M in cost overruns and yearslong delays

Josh Koehn

David Sjostedt

Ernest Archer was watching television a few months ago when he heard a “popping sound” and felt a bite on his back. The 71-year-old resident of Hotel Isabel, a single-room occupancy (SRO) building in San Francisco’s South of Market area, knew the feeling well.&nbsp;

Ernest Archer was watching television a few months ago when he heard a “popping sound” and felt a bite on his back. The 71-year-old resident of Hotel Isabel, a single-room occupancy (SRO) building in San Francisco’s South of Market area, knew the feeling well.&nbsp;

Archer and other tenants of Hotel Isabel, which is run by the affordable housing nonprofit Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TODCO), said it’s not uncommon for roaches and vermin to crawl through the building’s electrical outlets and that complaints to management often went nowhere.

Archer and other tenants of Hotel Isabel, which is run by the affordable housing nonprofit Tenants and Owners Development Corporation (TODCO), said it’s not uncommon for roaches and vermin to crawl through the building’s electrical outlets and that complaints to management often went nowhere.

“It’s terrible to wake up in the middle of the night with a mouse on your chest,” Archer said.

“It’s terrible to wake up in the middle of the night with a mouse on your chest,” Archer said.

But the bite on his back last winter didn’t come from a rodent. Archer said it was a bullet that ripped through the wall of a neighboring apartment and lodged itself just below his left shoulder.

But the bite on his back last winter didn’t come from a rodent. Archer said it was a bullet that ripped through the wall of a neighboring apartment and lodged itself just below his left shoulder.

A composite image of Earnest Archer, a resident of Hotel Isabel in San Francisco, and the remains of a bullet hole that he said was caused by a neighbor firing a gun. Archer said he initially thought his gunshot wound came from a rodent biting him because of an ongoing infestation. | David Sjostedt/The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1237" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TodcoPartOne03072023_INLINED1-2500x1237.jpg" alt="An elderly man in a cap and an image of a damaged wall next to a wooden sculpture's hand." class="wp-image-135817"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A composite image of Earnest Archer, a resident of Hotel Isabel in San Francisco, and a hole in the wall of his apartment that he said was caused by a neighbor firing a gun. Archer said he initially thought his gunshot wound was a rodent biting him because of an ongoing infestation. | David Sjostedt/The Standard</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TodcoPartOne03072023_INLINED1-2500x1237.jpg" alt="An elderly man in a cap and an image of a damaged wall next to a wooden sculpture's hand." class="wp-image-135817"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A composite image of Earnest Archer, a resident of Hotel Isabel in San Francisco, and a hole in the wall of his apartment that he said was caused by a neighbor firing a gun. Archer said he initially thought his gunshot wound was a rodent biting him because of an ongoing infestation. | David Sjostedt/The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Angelique Mayweather has her own horror stories. Getting an apartment in Hotel Isabel six years ago offered her a lifeline from the streets. But since moving in, she said, conditions have deteriorated: The tap water has a foul taste, and management has failed to address infestations of rats and roaches burrowing holes into her room—and sometimes crawling into her food.

Angelique Mayweather has her own horror stories. Getting an apartment in Hotel Isabel six years ago offered her a lifeline from the streets. But since moving in, she said, conditions have deteriorated: The tap water has a foul taste, and management has failed to address infestations of rats and roaches burrowing holes into her room—and sometimes crawling into her food.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Mayweather said. “The rats are in the walls.”

“There’s nothing you can do,” Mayweather said. “The rats are in the walls.”

A review of complaints with the SF Department of Building Inspection confirmed that the eight SoMa properties owned by TODCO, which has $48.5 million in assets and receives multimillion dollar contracts from the city and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, have repeatedly had issues with infestations, mold and heating in recent years. Even more disturbing, 15 people have died from drug overdoses at TODCO buildings since the beginning of 2020, according to data obtained from the San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.&nbsp;

A review of complaints with the SF Department of Building Inspection confirmed that the eight SoMa properties owned by TODCO, which has $48.5 million in assets and receives multimillion dollar contracts from the city and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, have repeatedly had issues with infestations, mold and heating in recent years. Even more disturbing, 15 people have died from drug overdoses at TODCO buildings since the beginning of 2020, according to data obtained from the San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.&nbsp;

“They say drug use is prohibited in the building,” said a woman who has lived in Hotel Isabel for three years and asked not to be named for fear of retribution. “It&#8217;s part of the rules, but they don’t do nothing about it.”

“They say drug use is prohibited in the building,” said a woman who has lived in Hotel Isabel for three years and asked not to be named for fear of retribution. “It's part of the rules, but they don’t do nothing about it.”

“They say drug use is prohibited in the building,” said a woman who has lived in Hotel Isabel for three years and asked not to be named for fear of retribution. “It&#8217;s part of the rules, but they don’t do nothing about it.”

All of these incidents—overdoses, pest infestations and generally deteriorating conditions—have taken place as TODCO ramped up spending on political campaigns at the expense of investing in its buildings and the health and safety of its poverty-stricken tenants. In one instance, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23698983-isabel-death-report">a 57-year-old man’s body was found</a> days after he overdosed—his apartment filled with insects.

All of these incidents—overdoses, pest infestations and generally deteriorating conditions—have taken place as TODCO ramped up spending on political campaigns at the expense of investing in its buildings and the health and safety of its poverty-stricken tenants. In one instance, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23698983-isabel-death-report">a 57-year-old man’s body was found</a> days after he overdosed—his apartment filled with insects.

A Google Streetview of TODCO’s Hotel Isabel at 1095 Mission St. in San Francisco. | David Sjostedt/The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2P0A6116.jpg" alt="A four-story red and white building at a street corner with shuttered shops and pedestrians." class="wp-image-135853"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People wait outside of TODCO’s Hotel Isabel at 1095 Mission St. in San Francisco. | David Sjostedt/The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Internal financial records show that annual revenue for TODCO’s main nonprofit entity has more than doubled over the last decade while it has steadily reduced the share of revenue it spends on its residents, who are low-income and disabled seniors and formerly homeless people. Meanwhile, the nonprofit has splurged on lobbying, political campaigns, salaries for executives and grants to other political groups. TODCO also appears to have underreported the value of a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/sf-housing-boss-todco-sweetheart-deal-legal-irs-hud/">free apartment given to its leader</a>.

Internal financial records show that annual revenue for TODCO’s main nonprofit entity has more than doubled over the last decade while it has steadily reduced the share of revenue it spends on its residents, who are low-income and disabled seniors and formerly homeless people. Meanwhile, the nonprofit has splurged on lobbying, political campaigns, salaries for executives and grants to other political groups. TODCO also appears to have underreported the value of a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/sf-housing-boss-todco-sweetheart-deal-legal-irs-hud/">free apartment given to its leader</a>.

The Standard launched an investigation into TODCO’s complex web of assets after one of the organization’s six nonprofits was found to be delinquent in filing forms and making payments to the California Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts. By law, nonprofits that are delinquent are <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-nonprofits-revoked-suspended-delinquent-millions/">barred from spending or receiving funds,</a> and TODCO has multimillion-dollar contracts with the city.

The Standard launched an investigation into TODCO’s complex web of assets after one of the organization’s six nonprofits was found to be delinquent in filing forms and making payments to the California Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts. By law, nonprofits that are delinquent are <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-nonprofits-revoked-suspended-delinquent-millions/">barred from spending or receiving funds,</a> and TODCO has multimillion-dollar contracts with the city.

In many ways, TODCO offers a case study of how nonprofits in San Francisco can leverage huge sums of taxpayer dollars for political activity while neglecting their core mission. The organization has been especially successful in exploiting the city’s housing processes to amass money and influence—and, in some ways, oppose development for the sake of financial gain.

In many ways, TODCO offers a case study of how nonprofits in San Francisco can leverage huge sums of taxpayer dollars for political activity while neglecting their core mission. The organization has been especially successful in exploiting the city’s housing processes to amass money and influence—and, in some ways, oppose development for the sake of financial gain.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-money-moves">How the Money Moves</h2>

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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-money-moves">How the Money Moves</h2>

Few people in San Francisco are as well-versed in the political dark arts as TODCO’s John Elberling.

Few people in San Francisco are as well-versed in the political dark arts as TODCO’s John Elberling.

The housing boss has taken advantage of soaring rental costs, federal subsidies and a refinancing scheme to build a progressive-leaning political empire. His organization, which was created in the early ’70s, has become notorious for blocking market-rate housing projects.&nbsp;

The housing boss has taken advantage of soaring rental costs, federal subsidies and a refinancing scheme to build a progressive-leaning political empire. His organization, which was created in the early ’70s, has become notorious for blocking market-rate housing projects.&nbsp;

For TODCO and its associated entities, the incentives to block market-rate housing are clear: A lack of housing supply keeps San Francisco’s rents high, and high rents are a big reason why the organization’s revenue has skyrocketed in recent years.

For TODCO and its associated entities, the incentives to block market-rate housing are clear: A lack of housing supply keeps San Francisco’s rents high, and high rents are a big reason why the organization’s revenue has skyrocketed in recent years.

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TODCO’s eight properties in SoMa charge fair-market rates, and most of its 900-plus tenants pay 30% of their monthly income. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development—with some assistance from the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing—subsidizes the remaining cost. TODCO has also generated millions in revenue by refinancing three of its properties that were built with federal funds in the ’70s and ’80s and have since grown exponentially in value.

TODCO’s eight properties in SoMa charge fair-market rates, and most of its 900-plus tenants pay 30% of their monthly income. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development—with some assistance from the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing—subsidizes the remaining cost. TODCO has also generated millions in revenue by refinancing three of its properties that were built with federal funds in the ’70s and ’80s and have since grown exponentially in value.

IRS filings going back more than a decade show that as rental costs climbed in San Francisco, TODCO’s main nonprofit entity saw its revenues surge from $2.8 million in 2012-13 to more than $6 million eight years later. Over the same period, the share of revenue TODCO dedicated to resident services plummeted.

IRS filings going back more than a decade show that as rental costs climbed in San Francisco, TODCO’s main nonprofit entity saw its revenues surge from $2.8 million in 2012-13 to more than $6 million eight years later. Over the same period, the share of revenue TODCO dedicated to resident services plummeted.

TODCO currently has a $1 million contract with San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to provide services to residents in its SRO buildings, including Hotel Isabel.&nbsp;

TODCO currently has a $1 million contract with San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to provide services to residents in its SRO buildings, including Hotel Isabel.&nbsp;

Records show Elberling and TODCO started pouring more money into staff salaries around the same time it increased its lobbying and other political work. Over an eight-year period, TODCO’s top executive salaries more than tripled, ballooning to more than $777,000—even as its portfolio of properties remained unchanged.

Records show Elberling and TODCO started pouring more money into staff salaries around the same time it increased its lobbying and other political work. Over an eight-year period, TODCO’s top executive salaries more than tripled, ballooning to more than $777,000—even as its portfolio of properties remained unchanged.

Sam Moss, an affordable housing executive who oversees the Mission Housing Development Corporation, slammed TODCO’s operations when briefed on the way the organization has reprioritized its spending.

Sam Moss, an affordable housing executive who oversees the Mission Housing Development Corporation, slammed TODCO’s operations when briefed on the way the organization has reprioritized its spending.

“I think for how little work TODCO actually does, the increase for salaries year over year is egregious,” Moss said.

“I think for how little work TODCO actually does, the increase for salaries year over year is egregious,” Moss said.

Elberling said in an email that his organization was “understaffed” a decade ago, and that TODCO has added administrative and program staffing in recent years. Much of the property management duties are outsourced to the John Stewart Company, and “management and general” expenses quadrupled from $1 million to $4 million in just eight years.

Elberling said in an email that his organization was “understaffed” a decade ago, and that TODCO has added administrative and program staffing in recent years. Much of the property management duties are outsourced to the John Stewart Company, and “management and general” expenses quadrupled from $1 million to $4 million in just eight years.

A woman living at Hotel Isabel said a maintenance worker “does the best he can,” but management waited a year to adequately address roaches in a neighbor’s apartment.

A woman living at Hotel Isabel said a maintenance worker “does the best he can,” but management waited a year to adequately address roaches in a neighbor’s apartment.

“Roaches were coming out of everywhere,” she said. “Oh, man. I was in tears.”

“Roaches were coming out of everywhere,” she said. “Oh, man. I was in tears.”

Elberling said the number of complaints at TODCO’s buildings have been modest and “all were corrected expeditiously.”

Elberling said the number of complaints at TODCO’s buildings have been modest and “all were corrected expeditiously.”

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-playing-politics-nbsp">Playing Politics&nbsp;</h2>

A turning point in TODCO’s transition to a political powerhouse came in 2014, when Elberling launched the Yerba Buena Neighborhood Consortium to act as the organization’s political arm. In the last nine years, the organization and TODCO’s affiliated entities have plowed at least $2.6 million into local elections, according to records with the SF Ethics Commission.&nbsp;

A turning point in TODCO’s transition to a political powerhouse came in 2014, when Elberling launched the Yerba Buena Neighborhood Consortium to act as the organization’s political arm. In the last nine years, the organization and TODCO’s affiliated entities have plowed at least $2.6 million into local elections, according to records with the SF Ethics Commission.&nbsp;

“I would say he has been in a class of his own,” Supervisor Aaron Peskin said of Elberling’s prolific political activity over the last decade.

“I would say he has been in a class of his own,” Supervisor Aaron Peskin said of Elberling’s prolific political activity over the last decade.

TODCO was able to resyndicate the debt on three of its federally funded properties—Mendelsohn House, Woolf House and Ceatrice Polite Apartments, which are named after TODCO’s founders—and raise money through tax credits and bonds. The scheme has given Elberling a piggy bank worth millions to draw upon.

TODCO was able to resyndicate the debt on three of its federally funded properties—Mendelsohn House, Woolf House and Ceatrice Polite Apartments, which are named after TODCO’s founders—and raise money through tax credits and bonds. The scheme has given Elberling a piggy bank worth millions to draw upon.

“Here is this guy who has all this money, and instead of using it to reinvest in his properties or continue on the mission of his organization, he uses it basically to buy political influence and enjoy the self-aggrandizement that it brings,” said Sonja Trauss, a housing activist and executive director of <a href="https://www.yimbylaw.org/staff">YIMBY Law</a>.

“Here is this guy who has all this money, and instead of using it to reinvest in his properties or continue on the mission of his organization, he uses it basically to buy political influence and enjoy the self-aggrandizement that it brings,” said Sonja Trauss, a housing activist and executive director of <a href="https://www.yimbylaw.org/staff">YIMBY Law</a>.

John Elberling talks in the community garden attached to Mendelsohn House, a low-income senior home in the South of Market area. Elberling receives a rent-free apartment in the building as part of his compensation as president of TODCO. | Camille Cohen/The Standard

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TodcoPartOne03072023_INLINED3.jpg" alt="An elderly man in a cap, gesturing with his hands, with blurry buildings in the background." class="wp-image-135826"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">John Elberling talks in the community garden attached to Mendelsohn House, a low-income senior home in the South of Market area. Elberling receives a rent-free apartment in the building as part of his compensation as president of TODCO. | Camille Cohen/The Standard</figcaption></figure>

Last year, Elberling blew nearly a half-million dollars on a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-housing-todco-amazon-tax-prop-k-guaranteed-income/">flawed ballot measure to tax Amazon</a>. Instead, it would have dinged small businesses and was ultimately <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/judge-amazon-tax-prop-k-ballot-meaure-todco/">struck from the ballot.</a> The TODCO boss essentially shrugged it off as chump change, even though this money could have gone toward helping tenants.

Last year, Elberling blew nearly a half-million dollars on a <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-housing-todco-amazon-tax-prop-k-guaranteed-income/">flawed ballot measure to tax Amazon</a>. Instead, it would have dinged small businesses and was ultimately <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/judge-amazon-tax-prop-k-ballot-meaure-todco/">struck from the ballot.</a> The TODCO boss essentially shrugged it off as chump change, even though this money could have gone toward helping tenants.

In many cases, TODCO’s political money has gone toward obvious progressive causes like fighting real estate interests in San Francisco and attempting to raise the city’s minimum wage. Elberling said that one of his organization’s biggest political victories came in March 2020, when voters passed Proposition E to put a cap on office development in SoMa until more affordable housing is built.

In many cases, TODCO’s political money has gone toward obvious progressive causes like fighting real estate interests in San Francisco and attempting to raise the city’s minimum wage. Elberling said that one of his organization’s biggest political victories came in March 2020, when voters passed Proposition E to put a cap on office development in SoMa until more affordable housing is built.

But other campaigns that TODCO supported seem to have little to do with helping its residents or building more affordable housing in San Francisco.&nbsp;

But other campaigns that TODCO supported seem to have little to do with helping its residents or building more affordable housing in San Francisco.&nbsp;

Most recently, TODCO unsuccessfully attempted to lower the voting age in San Francisco and poured thousands into ballot measures in Berkeley, Oakland and Southern California, where it doesn&#8217;t own properties.&nbsp;

Most recently, TODCO unsuccessfully attempted to lower the voting age in San Francisco and poured thousands into ballot measures in Berkeley, Oakland and Southern California, where it doesn't own properties.&nbsp;

Most recently, TODCO unsuccessfully attempted to lower the voting age in San Francisco and poured thousands into ballot measures in Berkeley, Oakland and Southern California, where it doesn&#8217;t own properties.&nbsp;

TODCO also spends tens of thousands in election cycles on polling that it shares with its political allies at City Hall, along with mailers that serve to prop up preferred candidates under the guise of issue-driven campaigns. Nonprofits are barred from explicitly supporting individual candidates.

TODCO also spends tens of thousands in election cycles on polling that it shares with its political allies at City Hall, along with mailers that serve to prop up preferred candidates under the guise of issue-driven campaigns. Nonprofits are barred from explicitly supporting individual candidates.

TODCO paid for this 2016 political mailer to support Proposition C while also prominently featuring then-Supervisor Jane Kim, who was running for state Senate that year. | Courtesy photo

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img height="1406" width="2500" src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-2500x1406.jpeg" alt="A flyer advocating for affordable housing featuring diverse individuals labeled as teachers, small business owners, tenants, and more." class="wp-image-135879"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A TODCO-backed mailer for a 2016 affordable housing ballot measure that prominently featured Jane Kim, then a candidate for the California State Senate. | Courtesy Photo</figcaption></figure>

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TODCO-Mailer-2-2500x1406.jpeg" alt="A flyer advocating for affordable housing featuring diverse individuals labeled as teachers, small business owners, tenants, and more." class="wp-image-135879"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A TODCO-backed mailer for a 2016 affordable housing ballot measure that prominently featured Jane Kim, then a candidate for the California State Senate. | Courtesy Photo</figcaption></figure>

A review of IRS records showed that TODCO spent just $5,000 to lobby government officials back in 2012-13, but that figure mushroomed to more than $473,000 eight years later.

A review of IRS records showed that TODCO spent just $5,000 to lobby government officials back in 2012-13, but that figure mushroomed to more than $473,000 eight years later.

Lobbyist disclosure forms filed with the California Secretary of State shows TODCO paid the Sacramento-based firm Resolute $87,000 in 2020 to lobby state officials, and another $180,000 for all of 2021. Elberling said the IRS classifies ballot measure expenses as lobbying.

Lobbyist disclosure forms filed with the California Secretary of State shows TODCO paid the Sacramento-based firm Resolute $87,000 in 2020 to lobby state officials, and another $180,000 for all of 2021. Elberling said the IRS classifies ballot measure expenses as lobbying.

Nonprofit experts who were contacted for this story said Elberling’s political activity appears to be legal, though it may raise ethical concerns.&nbsp;

Nonprofit experts who were contacted for this story said Elberling’s political activity appears to be legal, though it may raise ethical concerns.&nbsp;

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