The Board of Supervisors is expected to pass a resolution to create a historic Calle24 at today’s meeting. The special district will be bounded by Mission and Potrero streets as well as 22nd and Cesar Chavez streets. It will also include La Raza Park (also known as Potrero del Sol Park), Precita Park and the Mission Cultural Center. The report says that within the district, 49 percent of the residents self-identify as Latino and 38 percent are foreign-born. Poet Laureate, Alejandro Murguia’s work is quoted in the resolution:
And in the end when there would be nothing left of him but ashes what better place to cast them to the four winds but this strip of street where he’d come from, this asphalt dark as his hair, this little piece of tierra, of this barrio like no other and this street, magical, surreal, every day, easy, bonita y mediofea, pero todo coraz6n -l aVenticuatro. The bellybutton of the universe.
In practical terms, how will this be different than Chinatown? Besides some nice lamp posts and perhaps a few signs in Spanish, I could see preserving murals and perhaps cultural institutions like precita eyes, la raza gallery, etc. that’s really about it. Go ahead, make the mission more precious. It’s good for property values and tourism (man we are getting tons of tourists on 24th st.)