San Francisco has run out of feet to shoot
Well, well. Today came the news that Don Fisher, founder of the Gap, et al., has decided to scrap plans to build a world-class art museum in San Francisco’s Presidio to house his world-class art collection.
Without going into detail, and off the top of my head, the proposed museum now joins the likes of BART in Marin County, light-rail on Geary street, and, most recently, American Apparel in the Mission district.
Pat yourselves on the back, San Franciscans. Never will you be forced to progress or enter some modicum of normal, decent, civilized society. No, your streets can remain filthy, your homeless can remain outdoors, your mentally ill can go without treatment, and your non-native, eucalyptus-filled forests can remain “pristine.” Oh, and you can keep protesting whatever the hell you feel like, all at once. Michael Jackson died? What better time to speak out against land mines in Afghanistan?
The city I live in and love is a fucking embarrassment.
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July 2nd, 2009 at 9:47 am
trying to think of a positive in this….OH I KNOW! the bowling alley wont close down???
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:53 am
I’m hugely bummed. Agreed with Olivia that the bowling alley will live long and prosper. But the Fishers have an unparalleled art collection and no one gets to benefit from it now.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:54 am
i’m on board with ALL of your other examples of the city’s vagaries (light rail on geary is so obviously beneficial, doubly so considering the billions spent and yet to be spent on the pointless central subway boondoggle), but the proposed museum was going to be a boxy, out-of-context eyesore in the presidio.
would it have killed don fisher to hire an architect who could sketch out something that at least gave a nod toward the surrounding architecture?
the fishers don’t want to share their reportedly impressive art collection with the world; if they did, they could offer it as a permanent loan to FAMSF and go visit it at the legion of honor for free on the first tuesday of every month. no, they want to build a monument to their self-made fortune in san francisco. that’s all well and good — let them do it somewhere that san francisco won’t mind its presence. but if accepting this rich couple’s fancy was the sole means of entry into “normal, decent, civilized society,” i’ll take the status quo, thankyouverymuch.