Mission Local, SF

San Francisco's Central Subway shut down last week—did you notice? The Central Subway was a boondoggle—approved in 2003 for $647 million, it was finished in 2022 for an estimated $1.95 billion. And today, almost no one rides it. "The estimated cost kept soaring while the estimated ridership — used to justify this project —?kept plummeting ... The Central Subway is closed down and the biggest shame is that nobody even notices. And nobody cares." https://lnkd.in/geTNfG37

Mayor Daniel Lurie has made fixing San Francisco's downtown a top priority of his new administration. He's announced beefed up police responses, an outside expert to tackle drug markets, reduced permitting and fees, and more. But Muni? Which is facing a $15 million deficit, even though everyone agrees it's fundamental to bringing people downtown to work, shop, & play? It's not a focus: Lurie's team seems resigned to cutting bus & tram lines this summer. https://lnkd.in/gdxeutRi

Happy to be included in LION's sustainability cohort, where we're learning how to grow from a small, neighborhood outlet into a major, San Francisco-wide one.

There's only one house left in the Tenderloin—a small, brick home behind an often-graffitied metal fence. Here's its story, and the true San Francisco story of the man inside. https://lnkd.in/gTdMirC8

From our columnist, Joe Eskenazi: "Permitting in San Francisco feels a bit like 'Gilligan’s Island' —?what ought to be a three-hour tour ends up getting you marooned for God knows how long. So, earlier this month, the mayor announced an initiative called 'PermitSF' to streamline, centralize and de-Gilligan permitting in San Francisco. Make no mistake: It’s good that the mayor is prioritizing this...But it won’t be cheap. And it won’t be fast. No matter what the press release says." https://lnkd.in/eYc3Dz7X

San Francisco has 14 courts that are alternatives to the traditional criminal justice system, where defendants complete treatment plans to clear their records. But just one is for crimes in a specific area. Our look into Tenderloin community court, where hearings begin at 2 p.m. sharp, defendants win gift cards for clean drug tests, and Judge Michael Begert keeps a plastic bin of candy in his courtroom labeled “kudos.” https://lnkd.in/g3EQNmGH

Read through Mission Local's *first-ever* impact report. 2024 was big for us: Two "general excellence" state & national awards, a commitment to in-depth election coverage, seven interns, nearly a thousand new donors (!), & much more. Take a look below, and here's to an even stronger 2025.

It's been a *busy* year at Mission Local — we doubled down on election coverage, we broke important stories big and small, & we continued our fearless, local reporting. We did it all as a nonprofit with a small, dedicated staff — and yes, we ARE in the middle of end-of-year fundraising and taking donations: https://lnkd.in/gFsfV-iB Here's your 2024 wrapped — Mission Local edition. See you in 2025!

We are *thrilled* to announce that we've added three new board members! Chris Haugh has a decade-plus of experience in media, government, and the private sector: senior advisor at Roadrunner Venture Studios, former speechwriter for John Kerry, JD from Yale Law, and more. Doug Ng is a design consultant with years of graphic design, digital strategy, brand development, and other experience who previously worked at Cityside, just across the Bay. He's already been instrumental in a planned website redesign. Genisha S. is a product strategy lead at Google, helping push products in new markets, and has helped various media companies in the past, like the Washington Post and Buzzfeed, and also advised media/technology CEOs as a consultant. Welcome aboard! https://lnkd.in/eRc4mBVG

It's ~#GivingTuesday~ & we're asking for your help. We're a small, nonprofit newsroom increasingly covering all of San Francisco. We're reliant on our readers, & we have $85K in matching funds through Dec. 31—so your gift is *doubled* if you give today. We've been covering the Mission & San Francisco since 2008. We've grown A LOT since then, & we're growing still—hiring more reporters, covering more areas, & winning more awards. About 75% of our revenue comes from 1,800+ individual donors. Join them: https://lnkd.in/gFsfV-iB