Press Conference: Larkin Street Revival Launches with an Anti-Gentrification Pledge

Mayor Daniel Lurie joined city officials, a local supervisor and a prominent philanthropist on Larkin Street in the Tenderloin on Feb. 9 to cut the ribbon on a multi-year corridor revitalization project that pairs public seed money with private investment. The Larkin Street Revival promises better lighting, cleaner sidewalks, decorative gates and cultural programming — but its backers went out of their way to insist the goal is neighborhood improvement, not neighborhood displacement.

• Larkin Street Revival officially launches in the Tenderloin with decorative gates, lighting and cultural programming plans

• Mayor Lurie cites 30% citywide crime drop, frames project as proof San Francisco's recovery extends beyond downtown

• Philanthropist Chris Larson calls the Tenderloin "the heart and soul of the city," urges investors to direct dollars into the neighborhood

• Supervisor Bilal Mahmoud shares family's refugee story, envisions Larkin Street as a cultural corridor anchored by Little Saigon heritage

• OEWD seed funding helped produce the corridor's new decorative gates in partnership with the Tenderloin Community Benefit District

The Larkin Street Revival is a partnership among the Tenderloin Community Benefit District (TLCBD), the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), community members and private investor Chris Larson. Decorative gates are already installed along the corridor, and the multi-year plan calls for improved lighting, cleaner sidewalks, storefront activation and regular cultural events designed to boost foot traffic and support small businesses.