Bringing San Francisco's Sixth Street Back to Life

"Locals will recognize the Hugo, which has been vacant for nearly 20 years, for the colorful murals on the downstairs walls and the weird pieces of furniture, including a couch and a large wooden dresser, poking out the windows. It is a quirky eyesore, both full of potential and run down."

"Kind of like Sixth Street."

"Although it is grandly described as the "Gateway to the City," Sixth Street has been a run-down mess for decades."

"But even critics have to admit that there have been major changes in the last three or four years."

"'Look,' said John Elberling, president of Tenants and Owners Development Corp., which has developed a couple of housing projects in the neighborhood, 'Sixth Street today is no picnic. But it is still dramatically different than what it was.'"

"In some ways the best thing that ever happened to Sixth was the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The run-down hotels along the street were hit hard, forcing many residents out on the street and creating a focus for redevelopment funds to rebuild low-cost housing."