Fire damage to Gartland Apartments on northeast corner of 16th Street and Valencia Street - 1976 (Updated over a year ago)

On December 12, 1975, a 4:00 am fire killed 14 people and left 30 missing. The landlord of the building was accused of arson for insurance money. Beatrice Presant of Summit Land Co. also owned Lassen Apartments at 441 Ellis Street, which had nine arson fires in twenty-three months and was described as "among the worst fire traps in the city." In the two months preceding the Gartland Apartments fire, four other arson fires had occurred in the neighborhood. Activists in the neighborhood used graffiti (see related slides) to protest and to make sure affordable housing replaced the Gartland Apartments. The city took action to seize the land from the owner, and from 1983 to 1987, a battle ensued between two groups who wanted to have market-rate housing. The two groups who opposed market-rate housing were: young political activists who were determined to get nonprofit housing, and artists who were fighting gentrification and "injustice." Their artwork (murals, poetry readings, contraband dances, etc.) probably provided the key to the owner's decision not to fight on. The North Mission News was founded about this time and led the fight against gentrification and injustice. See slide from 2006 for the replacement housing. In 1989, the Maria Alcia Apartments were built for low to middle income rentals and were 4400 square ft. of rental commercial space. These were built by the Mission Housing Corp., a nonprofit organization with 17 years of experience that build and rehabilitate buildings.