Celebrating
FREE//GRATUITO
45 years
of community journalism
Published by Acción Latina Septiembre 10-23, 2015
Vol. 45 No. 18
knocked out? ¿noqueado?
50-year-old business threatened by 300% rent hike Negocio de 50 años padece incremento de renta de 300 por ciento Carlos Navarro, gran maestro posa para un retrato con sus alumnos, quienes practican al fondo, el 4 de septiembre en la Academia de Artes Marciales Navarro en San Francisco. Navarro tiene hasta el 20 de septiembre para desalojar la academia, que ha estado en su ubicación actual por más de 40 años. Business owner and senior great grandmaster Carlos Navarro sits for a portrait on Sept. 4 as his students practice behind him at Navarro’s Martial Arts Academy in San Francisco. Navarro has until Sept. 20 to vacate the academy, which has been at its current location for more than 40 years. Photo Santiago Mejía Elizabeth Silva El Tecolote
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or decades, Carlos Navarro has dedicated himself to his craft and his community, teaching martial arts out of his gymnasium while providing a recreational space for those who needed it most. That time, however, is coming to an end. Navarro’s Academy of Martial Arts & Bodybuilding Gym, which has been in business for 50 years (43 of them at its current location at 3470 Mission St.), will be forced out on Sept. 20 due to a massive rent increase. Founded in 1965, Navarro’s Academy has been heavily involved in the community, with a body of work that includes partnerships with Senator Dianne Feinstein, former mayors Willie Brown, Joseph Alioto, George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk. “The school is not just about karate and martial arts. It’s a community,” Navarro said. “It helps children and adults fight against drugs and crime. I have seen members move from being ‘C’ students to ‘A’ students.” Navarro explained that he and his family business are victims of San Francisco’s commercial rental policy, which doesn’t include rent control protections. Thus, the building’s owner was able to raise the rent from $1,800 to $6,500. “I don’t blame the building’s owner because she is not breaking any laws, but at the same time, we cannot afford to pay that type of
rent,” Navarro said. “We do not charge high prices because we want to be able to give back to the community and lead our youth on the right path for the future.” The building’s current owner, Alice Tse, purchased the property in Nov. 2014. When Tse increased the rent she said she did not want to involve attorneys, preferring instead to buy her tenants out. But Navarro said he received a letter from her attorney the very next day, and a visit from the attorney the day after that. Navarro has hired his own attorney and is preparing to ask for an extension on the gym’s tenancy. District 9 Supervisor David Campos has intervened on behalf of the Navarro family, but his attempts haven’t been successful in convincing Tse. Protecting legacy businesses Campos is sponsoring a ballot initiative with supervisors John Avalos, Eric Mar, and Jane Kim to create a “Legacy Business Historic Preservation Fund,” which will appear on the November ballot as Proposition J. Proposition J is aimed at helping businesses with more than 30 years of existence stay in San Francisco by providing the businesses and the businesses’ landlords with grants. In March, the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the nation’s first legacy business registry. To be included on the registry businesses must be 30 years or older, have been nominated by the mayor or a member of the See Navarro’s, page 6
La entrada principal de la Academia de Artes Marciales Navarro por la calle Misión, San Francisco. La academia ha evolucionado a lo largo de los años para ofrecer un gimnasio de entrenamiento completo y clases de Zumba Fitness, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu y Arnis. The main entrance of Navarro’s Martial Arts Academy at 3470 Mission Street. The academy has evolved over the years to offer Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Arnis, a complete training gym and even Zumba Fitness classes. Photo Santiago Mejía Elizabeth Silva El Tecolote
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or décadas, Carlos Navarro se ha dedicado a su oficio y a su comunidad, enseñando las artes marciales más allá de su gimnasio, al proporcionar un espacio de recreación para los que más lo necesitaban. Esto, sin embargo, está llegando a su fin. La Academia de las Artes Marciales y el Bodybuilding
Gym, que ha estado en el negocio durante 50 años (43 de ellos en su ubicación actual en el 3470 de la calle Misión) ambos propiedad de Navarro, se verá obligado a cerrar el 20 de septiembre debido a un aumento en el alquiler. Fundada en 1965, la Academia Navarro ha estado fuertemente involucrada con la comunidad con una trayectoria de trabajo que incluye colaboraciones con la senadora Dianne Feinstein, los ex alcaldes Willie
Brown, Joseph Alioto, George Moscone y el supervisor Harvey Milk. “La escuela no es sólo de karate y artes marciales. Es una comunidad”, dijo Navarro. “Ayuda a los niños y adultos contra las drogas y el crimen. He visto a estudiantes pasar de categoría ‘C’ a ‘A’”. Navarro explica que él y su negocio familiar son víctimas de Vea KENPO, página 6