The TODCO Story

AN UNTOLD STORY: HOW IT CAME TO BE 1000 SENIORS CELEBRATE THE YERBA BUENA COMMUNITY’S 40 YEARS!

“On September 27th 1,000 elder residents of all eight Yerba Buena Neighborhood senior residences joined together in Moscone Center’s Esplanade Ballroom to celebrate their 37th annual Senior Ball sponsored by the Center and the TODCO Group. These apartment blocks, intended as replacement low-income housing for 4000 SRO units demolished by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency in the 1970’s, are the heart of the Yerba Buena neighborhood today…”

An Untold Story: Alice Street Community Gardens — A Secret SOMA Treasure

“In 1971 the first tenants of newly built Clementina Towers public housing found themselves in the midst of a redevelopment bulldozer wasteland, surrounded by the barren ruins of their one-time Yerba Buena home…”

TODCO Group President John Elberling | 2016 Yerba Buena Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award

“TODCO Group President John Elberling talks about the history of the Yerba Buena District and TODCO's role in building the neighborhood within SoMa (South of Market). This video was presented during the 2016 Yerba Buena Alliance Event. During this event John Elberling received the 2016 Yerba Buena Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award…”

A Vision For The Revival Of Downtown San Francisco's Financial DistricT - To Reclaim It For The People And Spirit Of San FranciscO

“The “Fidi” – the City’s downtown cluster of corporate skyscrapers is obsolete. First conceived 60 years ago as a white collar bee hive for hundreds of thousands of daily commuters from the entire Bay Area, it never has felt like it belonged to the People of San Francisco. It needs now to become “our” Downtown…”

Downtown San Francisco's Recovery: Yerba Buena Is A Place To Begin

“And just ten years later the Redevelopment Agency, TODCO, and community stakeholders  again all agreed to an even more ambitious compromise vision of building a new civic arts center (now the Museum of Modern Art, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, and the Center for the Arts) in Yerba Buena along with a future Yerba Buena residential Neighborhood surrounding it all – now home to 13,000 San Franciscans of all backgrounds, including 2000 seniors…”

75 year old Mexican-American artist gifts mural to BART

“Michael Rios, a Mexican-American artist created a number of murals in San Franciscos Mission District. He painted his first, more than 50 years ago in 1972 and hes still painting. As part of our coverage for Hispanic Heritage Month, we get a behind the scenes look at his body of work…”

A revitalized Mission mural—and some lessons from the history of BART

“Michael Rios art event reminds us of the displacement and gentrification that the train system caused in the neighborhood.” - Tim Redmond

Fully Restored Masterpiece Mural at BART Plaza Powerfully Declares The Soul of The Mission

“The BART Mural illuminates the indomitable spirit of our people, capturing our unwavering determination and the pivotal role we play within the entire San Francisco Bay Area. The mural depicts the struggle and resilience of our workers and our community as a testament to our unwavering strength and perseverance.”

Photos: Restored 24th Street BART mural unveiled in Technicolor

“A crowd of perhaps 100 people gathered at 24th and Mission this morning to take part in a lively celebration of the plaza’s newly restored mural…” - Will Jarrett

At 76, Michael Rios restores his historic 24th St. BART mural

“It has been almost 40 years since Michael Rios last ascended the scaffolding to face his historic mural at the 24th Street BART Plaza…” - Mission Local Article

TODCO’s South of Market Tenants: It's Their Home!

“Our South of Market and Yerba Buena Neighborhoods belong to the residents.” - TODCO President John Elberling

TODCO Community Art Initiatives Celebrate The Soul of San Francisco

“The Bay Area mass transit system transformed San Francisco into a corporate and finance headquarters of the Pacific, generating enormous wealth for the powerful. But as it was being constructed here in San Francisco, it threatened the Mission District with bulldozer redevelopment and gentrified displacement of its people…” - San Francisco Examiner Article

Raising a family on the job: Stories From The TODCO Family

“As a boy of twelve children growing up in the Philippines, Willie Abasta, the South of Market TODCO Group’s Senior Property Manager, overheard many stories about the United States from friends and family. They described a life that seemed idyllic compared to his own. And he determined that he too would one day live in America…” - San Francisco Examiner Article

Once Upon a Time in SOMA: Stories From The TODCO Family

“Eugene Coleman’s Canon Kip was the penultimate realization of “social capital.” It was a place of many positive purposes, a network of caring individuals and organizations, an inspiration for spirits of all ages, the “glue” that held a community together. It was the Heart of our SOMA.” - San Francisco Examiner Article

The Untold Story: How Yerba Buena Became A Real Neighborhood

“TODCO drafted a Yerba Buena Neighborhood Plan that called for all the necessary components of an actual neighborhood: a supermarket, safe streets and sidewalks, local shops, health clinics, even a community garden.” - San Francisco Examiner Article

The Untold Story: How San Francisco’s Visionary Affordable Housing Advocates Helped Turn A Monster Into Marvel

“We know TODCO has the determination and legal team that can stop projects. And we know TODCO will instead compromise and support developments that really provide affordable housing for SOMA’s longtime communities. They’re trusted to keep their word.” - John Elberling TODCO President

A LIFE’S ROAD: STORIES FROM THE TODCO FAMILY

“For 29 years S. Renee Jones has been a tenant, volunteer, photographer and now Gallery Manager for the TODCO Group, South of Market’s community based nonprofit affordable housing community builder. This is her story.” - San Francisco Examiner Article

The Untold Story: When Redevelopment Built A SOMA Community Instead Of Tearing It Down

“Actual community building takes more than just affordable housing, it also depends on community institutions that will meet the needs of the people.” - San Francisco Examiner Article