City Reaches Deal To Buy Upper Haight McDonald's

City Reaches Deal To Buy Upper Haight McDonald'sAn aerial view of 730 Stanyan. | Photo: Google
Nathan Falstreau
Published on September 09, 2017

City officials announced yesterday they have reached a deal to purchase the McDonald's at the corner of Haight and Stanyan—a longtime hotspot for criminal activity—to build affordable housing in its stead. 

According to the Chronicle, terms of the agreement haven't been finalized, so it's unclear what the redevelopment will look like or how many units will be built.

Police activity on February 22, 2017 at 730 Stanyan. | Photo: Walter Thompson/Hoodline

However, the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) expects to pay around $10 million for the parcel, which contains the restaurant and its 45-car parking lot. The property could accommodate 90 units of housing; however, with state and local density bonus programs, more could potentially be built. 

"Anytime we can acquire land for affordable housing, we need to do it,” Mayor Ed Lee told the Chronicle. “Affordable housing—or the lack thereof—affects everyone in our city.”

The site has had a slew of issues over the years related to criminal activity, which eventually prompted City Attorney Dennis Herrera to cite it as a public nuisance in May 2015. There were reportedly 640 calls to police and 11 drug arrests between January 2014 and April 2015. 

Police activity at 730 Stanyan on August 4, 2017. | Photo: CAMDEN AVERY/Hoodline

Peter Ou—the current franchise owner who took over in January—has taken steps to increase security by installing security cameras and meets regularly with police, merchants, and staff from Board of Supervisors president London Breed, who represents the neighborhood. 

“With everybody working together, we have been able to reduce the crime at that location,” Park Police Station Captain John Sanford told the Chronicle on Friday, noting improvements since Ou took over. 

But violent crime hasn't been entirely quelled at the site, despite Ou's efforts. Early in August, a 28-year-old man was shot inside the restaurant after an altercation. 

City officials have been eyeing the location for some time, viewing the site as underutilized space that would be best suited for affordable housing. 

“If we can pull this deal off and build affordable housing there, it would be amazing,” Breed said.

Acting director of MOHCD Kate Hartley noted that any new affordable housing development would be welcome in the neighborhood, citing the last development being for seniors in 2007 at 1250 Haight St. 

“The neighborhood is fantastic. It’s across from the park. And it’s a really good size,” Hartley said. “It’s a treat to have an opportunity to buy a site of this size.”