The demolition push

SUP. CHRIS Daly's antidemolition ordinance presents Mayor Gavin Newsom with his first major economic-policy challenge and will be the first indication of where he stands on issues that pit the real estate interests who helped fund his campaign against the tenants who make up a majority of the voters. If Newsom vetoes the law, as he's expected to, Daly should move immediately for an override.

The law was drafted in response to a move by Angelo Sangiacomo, one of the city's largest residential property owners, to demolish the rent-controlled Trinity Plaza apartments to make way for a much bigger market-rate housing project. The law, which won approval by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Feb. 25, would ban the demolition of any building with 20 or more housing units, unless the building is more than 50 years old and has serious structural problems. Its impact would go far beyond the Sangiacomo project: since newly constructed apartments are all by law exempt from rent control, developers have an incentive to tear down older (although entirely sound) buildings to put up new, higher-priced units.

It's also the first significant piece of pro-tenant legislation of the year and the first major issue on which Newsom is likely to clash with the progressive majority on the board. So the outcome will help set the tone for the tough – and almost certainly contentious – decisions around the city budget.

The landlord and real estate groups are furious about the Daly bill and are fighting it hard. Daly initially had eight votes in favor, but last week Sup. Bevan Dufty changed his position and joined Sups. Tony Hall, Fiona Ma, and Michela Alioto-Pier in opposing it. Dufty represents a district with a heavy tenant majority, and he needs to feel the heat on this one. An override vote would force him to take a public stand, again, and tenant activists, particularly from District Eight, should be flooding his office with calls and letters.

Daly has said that if Newsom vetoes the bill and the board won't override the veto, he'll take the issue directly to the ballot. That's a fine idea, and he should make plans to do that – and to remind District Eight voters that Dufty's decision to side with Newsom and the landlords has forced tenant activists to put this to a citywide vote.