JFAV and Critics Laud Withdrawal of SF Presidio Art Museum Proposal (tags)
Critics of a highly controversial proposal by Gap Founder Donald Fisher to build a contemporary art museum on the Presidio of San Francisco's historic (c. 1776) Main Post lauded Fisher's withdrawal of his plan today. For the Justice for Filipino Veterans (JFAV) based in San Francisco, although the Presidio was the staging ground for the American colonization of the Philippines, it is still proper that it should be preserved historically and not be a private museum. It is a historical landmark for the advance of US imperialism and thus be shown to succeeding generations of Americans and Filipino Americans. Environmental, historical, neighborhood and military groups joined with thousands of citizens and San Francisco City agencies to fight the art museum being built in this national park, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). Serious questions remain regarding the Presidio Trust's proposals to build new structures (a hotel/restaurant and movie multiplex) in the park, a National Historic Landmark. The Trust is a federal agency that manages the Presidio's real estate within the constraints of various Federal laws including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the Presidio Trust Act.