Some organizers in San Francisco's Fillmore District are trying to get the conversation started to transform one of the area's last historic buildings.
The Muni electrical substation has been empty for years and organizers are rallying an effort to restore it for the community and honor the area's history.
"This neighborhood was a thriving Black community known around the world for its blues and jazz culture," said Majeid Crawford, executive director of the New Community Leadership Foundation.
Many called the neighborhood the Harlem of the west.
Crawford, along with Cliffton Hyson, would like to see a rebirth for the vacant brick building on Fillmore Street.
Crawford said the building is one of a few left after the neighborhood went through urban renewal in the 1960s.
"Much of what you see on the Fillmore was bulldozed and its mostly brand new developments, but at the time of the bulldozing this building was still being utilized for the street cars," Crawford said. "So it was saved."
Organizers have been reaching out to see what neighbors want.
During a virtual town hall last month, the suggestion was made to restore it and honor the Fillmore's rich history with a community space.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Crawford helped lead efforts to rehab the Fillmore Turk Mini Park next door and hopes to do the same for the dilapidated substation.
The path toward restoring the building would mean extensive work, including a costly seismic retrofit. The city said there are no plans to tear it down.
The planning department said the substation represents a special opportunity for a public and private partnership that could breathe new life into a treasured building.
