The nightlife of San Francisco's Castro District is getting a much needed revamp for the first time in more than 30 years.
The LGBTQ+ neighborhood at the heart of the city may soon welcome new bars after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to overturn rules that previously discouraged businesses from opening in the area.
"I'm glad my colleagues passed this legislation and hope it opens the door to new operators and concepts in the Castro," Supervisor Rafael Mandelman wrote in a Twitter post. "The neighborhood has too many vacancies, and we should be making it easier to fill them."
The legislation, spearheaded by Mandelman, rewrites old zoning laws which prohibited new bars from opening in the Castro Street Neighborhood District, defined as Castro Street between Market and 19th. Mandelman said the change will allow the Castro to become more inclusive.
"It isn't fair or good for the neighborhood to preclude new folks from starting a business, especially when those folks are queer women, trans people, and people of color," he said.
The neighborhood is known for its nightlife, but in the past 30 years without the ability to grow, the number of bars has diminished to a mere eight. More bars exist in what San Franciscans know as the Castro, but they are outside of the parameters of Castro Street.
"These changes are way overdue," Senator Scott Wiener said in support of the ordinance. "Sometimes city government just needs to get out of the way."
According to Mandelman, the new bars will be under conditional use zoning, meaning that any new permits will be subject to review and community input will be allowed. The ordinance "will help the Castro to be a more welcoming and diverse place that still retains its unique identity," he reassured.
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