S.F. approves serial evictor’s new bar in former Uptown space
The San Francisco planning commission voted four to three today to approve an infamous Mission landlord's proposal to open his own bar in the space previously occupied by Uptown , a 39-year-old neighborhood dive bar that closed in January .
Kaushik Dattani, the owner of the building at 17th and Capp streets, appeared in City Hall on Thursday to defend his plans for his new bar, which will be named Kiitos. By his side stood Kevin Ortiz, who took a leave of absence from his position as co-president of the Latinx Democratic Club in July following allegations of sexual assault but holds down a day job consulting for local businesses. Ortiz said he was there as Dattani's strategic services consultant.
Because Uptown was designated a legacy business , a change in ownership requires authorization from the planning commission. In its recommendation , the planning department noted that, although there will no longer be a legacy business at the site, the new bar would continue to serve as a community gathering spot.
Ortiz spoke quickly as he addressed the commission, flipping through dense PowerPoint slides of information about the new proposal. He said that, as mandated by the planning department, the landlord had conducted the necessary "community outreach" to garner support for the project. He did not elaborate on what this entailed during his five minute presentation, but said they'd received over 70 letters of support. On June 19, Mission Local reported that about 40 people confronted Dattani about his ability to operate a bar in a neighborhood where he has evicted dozens of tenants.
For his part, Dattani asked the commission not to consider landlord-tenant disputes when coming to a decision, saying he wished to be seen merely as a business owner. This elicited mutters from the back of the room.
All seven commissioners expressed moral qualms about Dattani's business practices. Ultimately, though, the four in favor of the proposal explained that they could not find a legal opposition to the plan.
"It's a matter of the use, not the user," commissioner Theresa Imperial said.
Meanwhile, Gilbert Williams, one of the three commissioners who voted against the proposal, expressed concern about gentrification and displacement in the Mission, calling for stronger protections of legacy businesses.
In the audience were supporters of both Dattani and Uptown, including the legacy bar's former owners. The owners have blamed the landlord for their business' closure, saying they were charged rent "at least 80 percent above fair market" from 2019 to 2024. Mission Local previously reported that the owners said they were charged between $9,500 and $10,700 a month.
Nine neighbors and former Uptown staff waited almost four hours to speak in opposition of Dattani's plans. They each filled their allotted three minutes for comment with emotional statements, describing Dattani's troubled history as a "gentrifier" in the Mission.
"The landlord, Mr. Dattani, is renowned for being greedy and the opposite of community minded," said Barbara Attard, a policing expert and regular at Uptown.
"We did not willingly leave," Uptown's managing partner Shea Green said. "We were faced with an impossible lease."
"A vote in favor of this conditional use authorization is actually a vote for Mr. Dattani's unscrupulous business practices, and it's a vote against legacy businesses," added former employee Jessica Gensley, her voice shaking with emotion.
Dattani's supporters, meanwhile, were conducted into the hearing room by the landlord and Ortiz when their agenda item was due. They were directed to join the line of commenters. Some looked to Ortiz for approval before and after they spoke. One, Michael Rouppet, said he had no affiliation with Dattani and was just there as a "community member." Rouppet, a vice president of the Latinx Democratic Club , later left with Dattani and Ortiz.
Unlike Uptown's supporters, Dattani's kept their comments brief and dispassionate.
Louise Dawson, who said she'd worked in real estate with Dattani for almost two decades, told the commission that the landlord "goes over and above for a lot of his tenants."
"They have ... an emotional attachment to the place," said the owner of Yasmin , a Mediterranean eatery at 799 Valencia St., referring to Uptown's supporters. "But sometimes you just got to move on."
Others, who identified themselves as community members, read statements saying that Kiitos would help "bring some vibrancy back to the neighborhood" and be especially positive for the Latino community. Dattani's lawyer also spoke, stressing that a tenant dispute should not be considered by the commission.
When Marty Sargeant, a former Uptown regular who suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a mobility device, had difficulty navigating away from the podium, Dattani shuffled to help. "You've done enough," Sergeant responded bitterly.
Before voting against Dattani's proposal, Commissioner Kathrin Moore shared an anecdote about an old cafe she'd loved as "food for thought": The popular cafe, like Uptown, had been replaced by another cafe under different owners. Its replacement never succeeded.
"The bar will open," commissioner Derek Braun, who voted in favor, concluded. The community will "choose whether they go to that bar or not."
After the decision, Gensley, the former Uptown employee, sat crying in the back of the room. At least they'd won a "moral victory," said community member Deanna McDougall, sitting besides her, consoling.
