In another blow to one of the city’s famed shopping corridors, Alice + Olivia will close its Fillmore Street boutique on Sunday, Dec. 15, after 12 years in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood. The women’s clothing brand shared its gratitude for local support in an email to customers, hinting at a possible return.
“We know the theater expansion will bring exciting changes to this special neighborhood, and we hope to return in the future,” the email read.
A different Upper Fillmore business that was previously on the chopping block, La Mediterranee, will be staying put for at least four more years. The Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project announced in a news release on Monday that it would be extending the lease for the legacy restaurant at 2210 Fillmore St. In recent months, the future of the decades-old business had been shaky at best, with its owners sharing a petition attempting to save it from eviction. As part of the agreement, La Mediterranee will increase its business hours to again include Sundays.
In response to SFGATE, Vanick Der Bedrossian, owner of La Mediterranee, said the restaurant did not wish to provide comment beyond what was in the joint news release.
The lease agreement and closure come amid sweeping retail changes in the area driven by the revitalization project, which has made multiple property acquisitions along Fillmore Street this year, including the historic but shuttered Clay Theatre and a neighboring location at 2259 Fillmore St., where Alice + Olivia is located. Local entrepreneur Cody Allen, the project’s executive director, clarified the circumstances of Alice + Olivia’s departure in an email to SFGATE through spokesperson Sam Singer.
“When we acquired the building, the lease with Alice + Olivia was set to expire on December 31 of this year,” Allen’s statement in the email read. “We offered to extend their lease with flexible rent for the next year, but the company declined. We wish them the best and look forward to seeing this space in the hands of an independent small business operator in the future.”
Allen, through Singer, also confirmed that upgrades to the Alice + Olivia building are planned as part of the redevelopment of the Clay Theatre. However, these changes have coincided with the exit of other long-standing businesses, including the 40-plus-year-old Japanese restaurant Ten-Ichi and, most recently, one of the original Starbucks coffee shops in San Francisco.
Critics argue that the Upper Fillmore Revitalization Project’s efforts risk eroding the street’s character. In August, Supervisor Aaron Peskin proposed strengthening protections for legacy businesses, requiring landlords to justify replacements in public hearings. “We will not let venture capitalists engage in hostile takeovers of our neighborhoods,” Peskin said. The measure passed in late October, though many business owners voiced skepticism about its true benefit.
SFGATE reached out to Alice + Olivia for comment but did not hear back by publication time.
This news story has been updated.
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
