In a unanimous vote, the San Francisco planning commission on Thursday approved a hotly debated proposal for AutoZone to take over a now-closed Walgreens in Bayview — with some caveats.
“Is it perfect? No,” said commissioner Sean McGarry.
Despite residents’ complaints about adding yet another auto-parts shop to the neighborhood, and their desires for a grocery store or pharmacy, commissioners said the store could pave the way for more retailers to move into the neighborhood.
“We could use this as a stepping stone to make the situation better in the future,” McGarry said.
The Bayview-Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee, a community group that gives advice to the planning commission and the Board of Supervisors, unanimously voted against the proposal earlier this year.
Theo Ellington, a candidate for district supervisor who spoke against it at Thursday’s hearing, said 70 people signed a petition objecting to the plan.
Still, planning commissioners voted 4-0 to see it through.
As a way of assuaging residents’ concerns, the planning department required that the AutoZone incorporate a mural onto the building’s facade, refrain from high-intensity lighting and signage, and collect all fluid and auto parts inside the facility, among other conditions.
Walgreens occupied the space at 5300 Third St. until 2025, when a slew of the pharmacies closed across the city, citing “increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures.” The pharmacy was the second Walgreens to close in Bayview, forcing residents to travel outside of their neighborhood to access medications.
The buildings’ landlords, Raj and Veena Kaul, said on Thursday they were aware the Walgreens would close in 2020, and that they had searched for a new tenant for five years without success. But residents felt blindsided by the closure.
“Where was the community in all of that?” said Evangela Brewster, a Bayview resident, of Walgreens’ decision to abruptly close. “When Walgreens closed, it was really hard on this community,” Brewster said at Thursday’s hearing.
The now-empty storefront, located in the middle of Bayview’s commercial corridor on Third Street and Williams Avenue, could have been “transformative,” said Tyra Fennell, a Bayview resident, at an earlier July 9 hearing.
“This is valuable commercial space,” Fennell said then. “Bayview deserves a bigger vision for its future.”
Ellington, who is running to replace Supervisor Shamann Walton as District 10 supervisor, had circulated a petition asking residents to weigh in on the proposal.
Bayview-Hunters Point has a robust history of environmental justice due to residents’ disproportionate exposure to high levels of air pollution and the now-closed Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, which spewed toxic chemicals into the bay.
AutoZone, Ellington told Mission Local, would not be a good fit. The automotive retailer was forced to pay $11 million to the state of California in 2019 after allegedly illegally disposing of more than five million hazardous waste items.
“It feels like they’re trying to get one by us,” said Ellington. “There’s clear rationale as to why they shouldn’t be there.”
What should be on the site instead? Ellington said the neighborhood needs an “anchor institution” to replace the Walgreens. “One that could help bring much-needed foot traffic.”
Oronde Sterling, a Bayview resident and contractor, proposed a few ideas at Thursday’s hearing.
“Imagine if this space became a workforce development center where residents could train for trades,” Sterling said. “A business incubator … a youth mentorship program.”
Multiple new businesses have recently moved into Bayview’s commercial corridor, including new restaurants and soon, a highly anticipated bookstore. A nonprofit pharmacy is also expected to soon open in Bayview to replace the shuttered Walgreens.
But the neighborhood has struggled since the pandemic to recover from a significant drop in sales-tax revenue. The neighborhood lost both its main grocery store and its last pharmacy in 2025.
The landlords of the shuttered Walgreens said that AutoZone has proven to be a “responsible tenant.” The building, which has remained vacant for more than a year, said Raj Kaul, has been vandalized multiple times, and Kaul has had to pay insurance on the empty building. It has become a “financial burden,” said Kaul.
As is, the building is “not good for the community or anybody else,” said Kaul.
But many residents believe it could be better.
“My hope is we can dream bigger and build the neighborhood that we deserve,” said Ellington.
Bayview still needs more grocery and pharmacy options
Theo Ellington’s AutoZone performance is a useful preview of his campaign: arrive after the community has already done the work, circulate a petition, offer no realistic alternative, lose 6–0, and issue an inspirational quote about “dreaming bigger.”
Bayview residents had legitimate objections. Turning those objections into a campaign photo-op is not leadership.
Whole Story, you missed the real issue – regulatory oversight of pharmacies, on-line competition and an over-presence of Walgreens in SF. All this cut into profits so Walgreens moved to greener pastures. The shoplifting accusation was inaccurate and a thinly veiled excuse for a quasi-public service (pharmacies) to abandon communities when their margins shrank. Were it shoplifting, it wouldn’t be just pharmacies that closed, and certainly not just the Walgreens.
Don’t get misled by the spin. Shoplifting was not the cause, not even in the top four. main reasons cited by Walgreens in their stockholder reports. Main Reasons were:
1. Low profitability and weak foot traffic. Walgreens said some closures were tied to declining revenue, especially in downtown areas after the pandemic and an over-saturation of brick and mortar outlets.
2. High operating costs. The company cited rent, staffing, and supply costs as major pressures.
3. Low reimbursement rates. Walgreens said regulatory and reimbursement pressures hurt pharmacy margins.
4. On-line competition. Walgreens was slow to respond to changes in technology and consumer patterns.
5. Retail theft. Walgreens had blamed theft in earlier San Francisco closures, but later statements emphasized economics more than crime.Retail theft. Walgreens had blamed theft in earlier San Francisco closures, but later statements emphasized economics more than crime.
This Planning Commission decision had a total of four votes. Four commissioners decided the fate of this important neighborhood decision — over its protests, no less — when there are supposed to be seven commissioners.
Where is the accountability?
Autozone is better than nothing. It will contribute sales taxes and provide jobs. An empty store doesn’t do that.
The Bayview community had already been raising concerns about AutoZone, and the CAC had already voted unanimously against it. Theo Ellington appeared at the final hearing with a petition, offered no workable alternative, and then framed the 6–0 approval as a call to “dream bigger.”
Funny, I don’t see the word “shoplifting” anywhere in a story about people whining that a store closed.
You should look up this word. It is important.
You’re accusing people of “whining” that a store that provides necessary prescriptions and supplies to the neighborhood closed? You sound delightful!
FYI – you also sound misinformed and simple-minded, droning on about “shoplifting” rather than mentioning the fact that Walgreens themselves have mentioned their “[in]ability to cover the costs associated with rent, staffing, and supply needs” as reasons for their stores closing across The City.
Nor the fact that Walgreens opened 53 stores across San Francisco in a successful bid to drive competitor CVS out of business, and having completely saturated the area, saw revenues decline across all locations.
No, you sound like someone who wants to blame the people of the Bayview for not doing enough about “shoplifting,” which is about as smooth-brained a take as I can imagine. Congrats on that and have a great weekend!
Funny, I don’t see the words “private equity” in your comment.
The shoplifting thing was an excuse made up to cover up for over-expanding. Drug stores closed everywhere – urban, rural, suburban.
They used this excuse because they knew people like you would not only fall for it, they’d spread it to other people who fall for it.
Try to think before you speak.