Plans for a Club Pilates studio to set up shop in San Francisco's Mission District have met an immovable object in the form of vigorous local opposition. The proposed location at 1034 Valencia Street, which would have added another link to the internationally recognized fitness franchise's chain of over 1,300 studios, will not open its doors after the San Francisco Planning Commission yielded to community concerns, as reported by Mission Local.
Commissioner Amy Campbell stood alone in supporting the fitness franchise's plan, which residents and would-be franchise operators Carrie Wu and CJ Liu spearheaded. Their hopes to quickly move through the permit process were dashed despite previous successes with their other Diamond Heights and NoPa locations. Echoing the sentiment of fellow commissioners and local merchants, Commissioner Campbell suggested that, "If formula retail is not something we want to see on this corridor, then we should add it to the list of districts that do not allow formula retail and change the rules of the road," according to Mission Local.
The crux of the opposition, as highlighted by both the San Francisco Chronicle and Mission Local, is the perceived threat that formula retail poses to the unique character of Valencia Street. Long-time merchants and residents argue that welcoming a chain could set a dangerous precedent, incentivizing landlords to pursue more lucrative tenants and pushing out small, independent businesses.
Despite Wu and Liu's argument that their franchise would operate independently of Club Pilates and serve the local community, generating jobs and providing convenience for locals, the response from the community has been decidedly mixed. Fifteen letters of opposition were countered by 14 letters and a 58-signature petition in support. As Liu explained to the San Francisco Chronicle, "We just thought this Valencia Street, as long as it’s welcomed formula retail, then we thought it was going to be an easy case. It's just going through the formality." In contrast, Rinaldi, owner of Ritual Coffee, feared formula retail could turn "Valencia Street into what any strip mall can offer."
