The Grant Building, 7th and Market

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There are dozens, possibly hundreds of vacant buildings in San Francisco. There are thousands of people who are homeless, or who share their cramped, deteriorating living quarters with bedbugs, roaches, fleas, mice, and rats. There are thousands of other people who cannot live in San Francisco because real-estate speculators are driving them out. And there a couple of thousand people who could support themselves with a small business, but cannot afford to rent commercial space. I suggest we put one and one together to equal "two."
Ghost buildings are obvious symbols of urban blight. They produce no revenue, are attractive(?) nuisances, fire hazards, breeding grounds for insects and rodents, and very difficult to explain to tourists. Some buildings have a "historic" designation preventing alterations that would allow them to be used for purposes other than their original design.
Not every old building can or should be saved, and it is obvious that some of these relics should be demolished. In many cases, it would be more cost effective to build energy and space-efficient buildings that will last at least 100 years instead of attempting to retrofit buildings that are 100-years old.
Live-work spaces need to be taken seriously in this City. They should not to be the exclusive domain of gentrifiers, real-estate speculators, and dilettantes. Live-work spaces should be designed for people with modest incomes to live in San Francisco in relative comfort and style. They could replace the entire concept of "SRO's" with modern clean, light, airy, secure spaces that include communal cooking facilities, laundry room, game/movie room, and/or recreation facilities. And bicycle garages.