Veterans Groups Feel Squeezed By San Francisco Opera
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - The American Legion has been seething over a deal to share the War Memorial Building with the San Francisco Opera.
The agreement announced in November for the Opera to pick up nearly $20 million of the tab to remodel the building, and then lease one floor in exchange, amounts to a power grab by the city and the War Memorial Board of Trustees, veterans groups said.
"We should be allowed to designate the space that we need for our programs," said John Forrett, the commander of the American Legion's 8th District.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
Veterans are giving up 5,000 square feet, Forrett said, in a space where the opera and performing arts should never be granted permanent space.
The trustees defended turning over one floor of the building on the grounds that historically veterans organizations have not used all of the available space in the building.
Mayor Gavin Newsom praised the public-private partnership as a way to preserve veterans services at the War Memorial building.
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