Author: Alfredo Casuso

Last Chance to Buy! Tomorrow – May 10th – works by the late Spanish Brazilian Artist Maria Eugenia Casuso will come down. Our thanks to Grand Central Palm Springs for co-sponsoring this exhibit for the last two months! A portion of all sales benefits Pancreatic Cancer Research – just stop by Grand Central to peruse, muse, dine and buy!
— David Perry

Release updated 9 May 2023: original post 29 March 2023 – Palm Springs, CA: EST? PST? What time is it? The answer is #GCT-PS — “Grand Central Time” — at the iconic Grand Central Palm Springs (www.grandcentralpalmsprings.om) for breakfast, brunch, munch, lunch, “nibbles and bites”, creative cocktails and casually elegant dinner.  On March 30Grand Central hosted  a special reception to highlight not only their artfully delicious menu,  but unveil a new “History of Grand Central” mural by local artist Aaron Hansen. In addition, the reception featured work by the late Spanish Brazilian artist Maria Eugenia Casuso in Grand Central’s gallery and special event space along with work by Georgeanne Papac and Gary Paterson. The works by Casuso will come down May 10th.

“The theme for the Grand Central Mural was inspired by 1930s history of the building itself,” said Hansen. “Rita had expressed that she envisioned a joyous gathering of people from that era like a snapshot of a moment. That started the conversations and possibilities in regards to the direction that the mural would take.”

The “Rita” in question is Rita Capponi, founder and co-owner of Grand Central.
 
“For me, art and fine food go hand in hand, or should I say brush and fork,” said Rita noting that Grand Central has been named one of Yelp’s Top 100 Brunch Spots in California. “Palm Springs has a unique, casual but sophisticated clientele, and that’s the sort of experience we offer at Grand Central, including a dining room and special event space filled with art.”

As Aaron and Rita considered references and color swatches the dialogue continued and it was decided to add in some historically important people from this time period.

“That’s how we got to the four main characters of the piece, starting left with Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt,” said Aaron. “The center was reserved for a longtime patron of the building, Howard Hughes.”

Hughes was known to shop at Grand Central’s location when it was the Desmond’s Department Store, one of the toniest fashion brands from Los Angeles of the Era, and a “first” for the then sleepy desert town of Palm Springs.
 
“To the right of Howard Hughes is none other than the genius mind of the times Albert Einstein,” adds Aaron. “It was a lot of fun adding the floor lamps and playing with the way they would light the curtains and characters in the room. I knew the mural was a hit when people on the sidewalk would get my attention by knocking on the window and giving me thumbs up and take photos. I’m glad it could add so much dimension and character to the restaurant and can’t wait to do some more with Grand Central!”

Aaron Hansen’s new mural, joins the work of three other artists currently on display at Grand Central: The Mid Century Modernist colorful geographic work of the late Maria Eugenia Casuso, who died from pancreatic cancer and two local artists, Georgeanne Papac and Gary Paterson.

“As they used to say at our namesake Grand Central Station in New York City, ‘meet us under the clock’,” said co-owner and founder John Diskin. “After three years of COVID enforced restrictions, people are ready to mix, mingle and make up for lost time. We’re seeing a real bounce in requests for special events, including weddings and parties, for which our art gallery space is perfectly suited.”

With a patio, dining room and bar long known as the place “to see and be seen” by Palm Springs and Hollywood’s weekend glitterati, Grand Central also boasts a true “hidden gem”: its spacious special event space, complete with separate entrance, for the perfect Instagram-able wedding, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, birthday or business gathering.  In addition to its artistic backdrop, the spacious “Art Gallery” special event space can comfortably accommodate 150 for a seated dinner or over 200 for standing cocktail reception. Additionally, Grand Central is open for a full buyout of the restaurant with the “Art Gallery” room set up for dancing either with live music or a DJ.
 
What makes Grand Central Café Palm Springs unique?

“Our brunch is very much based on California cuisine with influences of the coffee cafe culture of Auckland, New Zealand, Dublin, Ireland and Melbourne, Australia,” John explains. “Our goal and our mission are to bring those flavors to Palm Springs.”

“For dinner, we expand our offerings to bring a fine dining experience in a more casual and relaxed environment,” says Rita, known for her personalized touch as hostess and creator of Grand Central’s iconic and seasonally changing “Book Holiday Tree” in the main dining room. “Good food doesn’t have to be overly complicated, and lovely surroundings don’t have to be stuffy. At Grand Central, we stand for approachable elegance.”

Why the name Grand Central?

“In cities and train stations throughout the years, people have been meeting ‘under the clock’,” explains John. “Grand Central’s iconic clock is a reminder to take a breath. Take some time to relax and enjoy innovative food and drink at our table.”

“Most importantly,” reiterates Rita. “Take some time to be with family and friends.”

Grand Central opened in May of 2018 after extensive renovations to the previous Palm Springs Institution, Desmond’s Department Store. After sitting vacant for over a decade, owners and husband and wife, John and Rita, revitalized and reimagined the space as a place for friends to gather and share good conversation, great cocktails, and a wonderful meal. The space was updated to a modern open concept with a large opening to the kitchen that helps bring the restaurant to life and ensures a one-of-a-kind experience, voted “Best of the Valley” 2020 by the Desert Sun.

Grand Central is open seven days a week for breakfast, brunch and lunch: 7:30am ‘til 3pm. Wednesday through Sundays, “Nibbles & Bites” is served at the bar 3pm ‘til 5pm and dinner 5pm ‘til 9pm including the popular new “Tasting Menu” featuring three appetizers, three entrée selections, dessert and a special wine pairing. For more information or for special events call (760) 699-7185. Reservations at OpenTable.com. www.GrandCentralPalmSprings.com  
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media contact: David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

Reclaiming Our Spiritual Heritage: An LGBTQ Spirituality Virtual Conference Announced June 17 – 24

9 May 2023 – San Francisco, CA:  As a direct response to the rise of anti-LGBTQ crimes in recent years, “Don’t Say Gay,” anti-trans issues, and book bannings regularly in the news, The Reclaiming Our Spiritual Heritage: An LGBTQ Spirituality Virtual Conference, June 17-24, 2023, challenges the connection between homophobia and religion. The conference, featuring a wide array of internationally known LGTBTQ+ voices, provides a timely and relevant platform to raise awareness and inspire change and aims to help the LGBTQ community find deeper levels of wholeness and self-acceptance.

“It’s tragic that many in the LGBTQ community struggle with issues around spirituality. We confuse it with religion and, no wonder, given the treatment we have received at the hands of most religions,” said conference organizer Christian de la Huerta, author of Coming Out Spiritually and Awakening the Soul of Power. “But what’s ironic about that is that before the patriarchal cultures and religions, people that we today refer to as LGBTQ were not only spiritually inclined, but were honored for the roles of spiritual service and leadership they played all over the world.”

Speakers include, among others,  Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, Crown Prince of the State of Gujarat in India, still the only openly gay prince in the world; Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston, Moderator of The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), an international LGBT-affirming mainline Protestant Christian denomination; Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force; Clyde Hall, an internationally recognized and acknowledged authority of Native American culture, dance ritual and folkways; and Richard Blanco, the fifth poet to read at a United States presidential inauguration, having read the poem “One Today” for Barack Obama’ssecond inauguration. He is the first immigrant, the first Latino, the first openly gay person and at the time the youngest person to be the U.S. inaugural poet.

For a complete list of speakers, for more information, or to register, or please visit:   https://consciousleaderssummit.com/optin-545884751675376506103

Media Contact: CSF Communications Director: 
Alexandra Liss / alex.lissCSF@gmail.com / (415) 767-6886

Civic Space Foundation Launches Civic Joy Fund to Bring Magic Back to San Francisco with Five New Citywide Projects

8 May 2023 – San Francisco, CA: Civic, Community, and Corporate Leaders come together to raise and deploy $2 million for five exciting new citywide programs to help San Francisco recover. 

The Civic Joy Fund, a project of the Civic Space Foundation will inject a jolt of magic back into San Francisco’s commercial corridors following years of economic hardship and a slow recovery from the pandemic.

The Civic Joy Fund was created after the success of Manny Yekutiel’s Light Up the City initiative, which raised $750,000 to light 12 commercial corridors around San Francisco. 

After completing the project, Manny Yekutiel and Daniel Lurie, known for his philanthropic efforts and non-profit Tipping Point, decided to partner up on something new to build off the success of lighting up the City.

Lurie and Yekutiel reached out to their networks and, based on their reputable track record for their civic projects and kickstarted by a generous gift from Lurie, raised over $2 Million from a group of civic minded individual donors and corporate partners like Levi Strauss & Co, Joby Pritzker, and Julia & Kevin Hartz. 

With that, the Civic Joy Fund was born. 

Amidst a climate of political polarization, it was crucial for the fundraising efforts to remain apolitical and maintain an unwavering focus on the programs at hand. By doing so, the individuals and corporate partners who contributed to this effort were able to come together in a spirit of collaboration and support for the shared goal of advancing these programs for the benefit of the wider community.

Chip Bergh, President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co.”This is our home. Levi Strauss & Co. was founded here in 1853 and this city helped make us what we are today. That’s why we’re more committed than ever to working alongside our employees, nonprofit partners, businesses and community members to be a positive force for change for the next 170 years.”

The Fund will implement five new citywide civic projects focused on supporting artists, musicians, community heroes, and the small business owners who make San Francisco great.

“San Francisco is a city of booms and busts,” says Daniel Lurie who is the co-founder of the Civic Joy Fund and the founder of Tipping Point.  “However, it is in the aftermath of these busts where our resilience is tested, and where we have the opportunity to create a better future for all. By taking bold action, working together, and refusing to give up, we can create a city that is more equitable, prosperous, and joyful than ever before.”

The Civic Joy Fund has formed strategic partnerships with a diverse array of organizations that collectively define the vibrant tapestry of San Francisco. 

These esteemed groups include the likes of NoisePop, Paint the Void, Refuse Refuse, Excelsior Action Group, the American Indian Cultural District, Clement Street, Valencia, Chinatown, Bayview, Haight Street, Divisadero, Ocean Avenue, and Castro Merchants, alongside the Tenderloin Community Benefit District and iconic companies such as Levi Strauss & Co. 

Manny Yekutiel, the co-founder of Civic Joy Fund says, “This moment calls for all of us to understand how we can contribute to San Francisco and then to do just that. The Civic Joy Fund is my way of rising to the occasion and I could not be more proud.”

The five projects, all with a focus on quick, tangible results are: Summer of Music, Paint The City, Clean Up the City, Adopt-A-Block, and The City Civic Corp.

Summer of Music:

In partnership with Noise Pop, we will pay over 80 local musicians to play live on nine commercial corridors across San Francisco every single Saturday from 2-5 PM this summer, filling the streets with music and bringing customers back to small businesses.

“As a San Francisco-based organization that has been dedicated to supporting and promoting the local arts scene for over 30 years, we couldn’t be more thrilled to see these new opportunities for our city’s talented musicians to showcase their creativity and transform the streets with the power of their beautiful music,” says Founder of Noise Pop, Kevin Arnold. “ We have seen firsthand the impact that music can have on a community, bringing people together, lifting their spirits, and sparking joy in even the darkest of times. That is why we are so proud to be part of this citywide initiative, which will not only provide a platform for emerging artists to gain exposure but will also help to reignite the economic engine of San Francisco’s small businesses.”

“The Clement Street Merchants are incredibly excited to be a part of the Civic Joy Fund’s efforts to bring more magic to San Francisco’s commercial streets,” says Clement Merchant Association President, Cynthia Huie. “The west side and Clement Street are ready to be a part of the City’s comeback story!”

The locations of the Corridors will be,  The Castro,  Chinatown, Clement Street, Cortland Avenue, Divisadero Street, Haight Street, Polk Street, Third Street in the Bayview, and Valencia Street. 

Paint the City: 

In partnership with Paint the Void we will pay local artists to paint  pieces of public art in 10 commercial districts across San Francisco to bring joy and combat graffiti to be chosen within the next upcoming weeks.

 “As a public art curator and producer, I’m always thrilled to see initiatives like ‘Paint the City’ supporting local artists,” says Meredith Winner, co-founder of Building 180 and Paint the Void. “Public art makes an impact even when it’s implemented in smaller forms, like painting the electrical boxes. It still inspires people to create their own art and to take care of the places that they live in. It’s exciting to work on a project with such a broad reach in San Francisco. We love having artists work on projects in their own neighborhoods and fostering civic pride amongst community members.”

“As CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco, I am thrilled to see such a collaborative effort between corporate, community, and civic leaders to help revitalize our city,” says Rodney Fong. “ San Francisco has experienced a significant exodus of residents and businesses, major retail closures, and a slow recovery. But projects like the Civic Joy Fund are a great example of how we can build excitement and energy around San Francisco’s unique neighborhoods, while also providing tangible support to those who need it most. ”

Clean Up the City:

In partnership with Refuse Refuse we will fund communal meals at hosting restaurants in ten San Francisco neighborhoods, enabling weekly volunteers to eat and drink together and create community while keeping streets clean and helping corridors look and feel the way they should.

“Refuse Refuse is excited to partner with The Civic Joy Fund to further our mission of keeping San Francisco clean and beautiful,” says Vincent Yuen, the founder of Refuse Refuse. “As someone who has been dedicated to keeping our streets clean for years, I am thrilled to be partnering with the Civic Joy Fund on this Clean Up the City project to bring 10 weekly trash pickups across the City, upping the ante on our work to leave no piece of litter behind!” .

The current neighborhoods scheduled for Clean Up The City are Hayes Valley, Bayview,  South Mission, Lower Nob Hill, Lower Polk, Ocean Beach with more on their way. 

Adopt-A- Block:

In consultation with local community groups we will choose four blocks around San Francisco and work with that block’s community to devise a plan on how to use $100,000 per block to fund a suite of potential improvements, support, and planning to help that block reach its fullest potential.

Kate Sofis, the Executive Director of the Office Economic & Workforce development says: “As the Executive Director of the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, I am thrilled to see the Civic Joy Fund’s Adopt-A-Block program come to life right here in our district, where the spirit of San Francisco starts. This project will bring much needed investment in the neighborhood’s residents and small businesses and we can’t wait to be a part of it!”

The blocks selected for Adopt-A- Block are Larkin Street between Turk Street and Eddy Street in the Tenderloin, Mission Street between 16th and 18th Streets in the Mission District, Ocean Avenue from Jules Street to Faxon Street in Ingleside, and Mission Street between San Juan Street and Harrington Street in the Excelsior. 

The City Civic Corps:

The City Civic Corps will have 100 San Franciscans descend to a different location in San Francisco on  the first Saturday of each month to support a needed volunteer project where many hands will make quick work, from park and beach cleanups to tree plantings to helping seniors, animals, and fellow San Franciscans in need. 

Lily Lo,  President of BeChinaTown says, “The Civic Joy Fund is bringing together the best of San Francisco to help our City get back on its feet. Chinatown was hit first and hit hard and I can’t wait to have music on the streets of Chinatown to show the world that we’re back!” 

For more information, visit  www.civicjoyfund.org.

For Press Photography Images click here : 

Summer of Music Sign Up: 

https://forms.gle/zphWFqZqguqpdWrf9

Clean up The City Sign Up : 
https://cleanupthecity.org

City Civic Corps Google Sign Up: 

https://forms.gle/tbCEfyCxHX3C8Kby8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org  

*** PRESS RELEASE ***

PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVES LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN AND UNION SQUARE

The proposal introduced by Mayor Breed and Board President Peskin will help fill vacant spaces by facilitating a greater variety of businesses and activities throughout Downtown and Union Square, and removing barriers to converting office buildings to housing  

San Francisco, CA — The Planning Commission today unanimously approved legislation introduced by Mayor London N. Breed and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin to support Downtown’s future as a place where people work, visit, and live.

The legislation delivers strategies to help fill vacant space in the Downtown and Union Square areas in two key areas. First, it amends the City’s Planning and Building Codes to simplify the approval process and requirements for converting existing office buildings into housing. Second, it removes restrictions to allow for a greater variety of businesses and activities in Union Square and throughout Downtown.  

As part of the Mayor’s Roadmap to Downtown San Francisco’s Future, this legislation is a key step in San Francisco’s strategy to diversify building use and create more opportunities to fill empty spaces in the Downtown and Union Square areas.  

“The challenges facing Downtown require us to imagine what is possible and create the foundation for a stronger, more resilient future,” said Mayor London Breed. “Working with President Peskin and the Board, we can create more opportunities to fill our empty buildings, whether that’s to create housing or making it easier to fill office and retail space. These changes shouldn’t be something that requires granting exceptions through lengthy paperwork and exhaustive public hearings. We need to make the process easier for getting our buildings active and full.” 

“This legislation is an example of the executive and legislative branches coming together to create an intentional incentive program that has the potential to reimagine and reinvigorate our Downtown,” said Board President Aaron Peskin. “Crafting and passing this legislation is only half the battle. Working with and making connections amongst a wide array of stakeholders from building owners to small businesses to arts organizations in order to realize these goals and ensuring these tools are user-friendly is our next big challenge.” 

Paving the Way for Housing

A primary component of the legislation is to encourage housing production Downtown through commercial-to-residential conversions, while ensuring enough office space remains to serve San Francisco’s concentration of job-supporting businesses. Although Downtown zoning already allows for housing, the legislation advances a range of code adjustments to slash barriers that may hamper the conversion of underutilized downtown office buildings to housing – and that could unlock thousands of new housing units over time.  

The legislation provides much needed flexibility for the re-use of older office buildings by relaxing Planning Code requirement like rear yards, that don’t make sense for conversions of existing buildings in our dense, downtown core.  The legislation will also provide for alternative paths to Building and Fire Code compliance for adaptive reuse projects that would otherwise struggle to meet requirements designed for new ground-up construction projects. 

Allowing More Flexibility in Union Square

This legislation incudes targeted zoning changes to allow additional flexibility for new and diversified uses and activities in Union Square. Responding to both the pre-pandemic impacts of online shopping and to post-pandemic shifts in the retail industry, the legislation allows a wider range of uses to better activate streets and buildings. On upper floors, that includes allowing for additional office, service, design and retail uses; and on ground floors allowing for indoor and outdoor entertainment, flexible retail workspaces, and larger retailers that will make the area more attractive for businesses, employees, and visitors alike.  

“Recent retail closures are very disheartening and highlight the importance of legislation like this that meets the critical needs of a time when the entire retail landscape has changed nationwide,” said Marisa Rodriguez, CEO of the Union Square Alliance. “We welcome the Planning Commission’s endorsement today of this package of critical zoning changes in Union Square and the greater downtown that are forward looking, realistic and obtainable if we all work together in earnest. Collectively we can meet this moment and turn our city on an immediate path towards a healthy and sustainable rebound.”

Reducing Barriers and Supporting Pop-Up Activations

The legislation also builds on Mayor Breed’s priority to reduce bureaucratic processes with changes to many of the procedures and special approvals required for Downtown development. Specifically, the legislation allows for a greater variety of ground floor and other uses, provides for the re-use of longstanding business signage, and allows City staff to review minor changes to historic buildings administratively without a public hearing. 

The legislation would also broaden the types of temporary pop-up activations that can take place in vacant ground floor spaces throughout Downtown, supporting a key goal of the Mayor’s Roadmap to support entrepreneurs, artists, and other ventures in bringing new energy to vacant storefronts that will serve to enliven the overall Downtown experience.  

“Downtown’s future is San Francisco’s future,” said Rodney Fong, President and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. “This proposal to make housing conversions easier and downtown zoning more flexible is an important step in charting San Francisco’s path to a reimagined downtown where resident, visitors, and workers all want to spend time.”

“As a City we need to be doing everything we can to invite creative uses and new activities to our Downtown buildings and storefronts and support our longtime businesses by drawing more foot traffic and visitors,” said Kate Sofis, Executive Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “This legislation opens up so many possibilities and is an important step in realizing the Mayor’s vision for the future of Downtown as a vibrant and active destination.”

Following extensive work by City staff and collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, the approved legislation by the Planning Commission will next be heard by the Building Inspection Commission on May 17, 2023 before proceeding to the Land Use Committee of the Board of Supervisors soon thereafter.  

“We’re updating the downtown playbook,” said Planning Director Rich Hillis. “Clearing the way for office conversions represents an important new tool to promote a vibrant downtown. While not flashy, these critical roll-up-your-sleeves technical improvements will help keep our downtown engine running.”

“San Francisco has a history of adapting and evolving to meet our most pressing challenges,” said Patrick O’Riordan, Director of the Department of Building Inspection. “Reconfiguring downtown buildings to the needs of today will require all of us to be creative, thoughtful and resourceful, and I’m absolutely confident we’re up to the task.”

City staff across departments continue to work on further process and zoning improvements to make it easier for businesses to start and expand, housing developments to get off the ground, and to welcome new industries and uses in existing underutilized office spaces.

The legislation is part of Mayor Breed’s Roadmap to Downtown San Francisco’s Future, a comprehensive plan to reinvigorate Downtown and reposition San Francisco as the Bay Area’s economic hub and a global anchor for commerce. The Roadmap includes nine strategies to respond to emerging economic trends and capitalize on the City’s strengths to keep Downtown vibrant, focusing on key priorities such as offering a clean and safe environment, fostering a resilient workforce, strengthening transportation, and attracting new industries.   

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