The Civic Center Inn in San Francisco has long been associated with neglect and deterioration, having recently shut its doors permanently in 2023.
The 82-room lodge, once a budget-friendly option with nightly rates below $60, could not survive the cumulative effects of disreputable conditions.
Today, it sits abandoned, attracting unwanted occupants and becoming a breeding ground for problems such as rats, both dead and alive, as well as significant amounts of garbage.
Despite the grim state of the property, local Reverend Paul Trudeau expresses a desire to purchase the inn.
Trudeau operates the City Hope Cafe and community center nearby on Ellis Street.
As the closest neighbor to the defunct hotel, the cafe has been greatly impacted by the surrounding environment, which is plagued by drug use and vagrancy — making it a challenging space for normal operations.
The area in front of the cafe is stained with despair, as people are often seen consuming drugs and lying on the sidewalk.
The cafe’s back entrance, which leads to its community gathering area, opens next to the hotel’s overstuffed trash receptacle — a sight that frequently unleashes pest problems and a foul odor.
In addition, the abandoned hotel has allowed would-be trespassers opportunities to scale its roof and vandalize Trudeau’s establishment, resulting in the nonprofit boarding up its windows as a precaution.
Trudeau recalls that even when the inn was operational, it functioned as a center for illicit activities such as drug use and prostitution.
These issues have now escalated on the streets, accompanied by increasing overdoses and even occasional arson incidents.
Trudeau envisions a transformation of the Civic Center Inn into a sober living facility where over 60 individuals could reclaim their lives and thrive in a supportive environment.
If the structure is sturdy enough, Trudeau hopes to initiate a capital campaign to realize his vision.
“This would change things,” he asserts.
In response to the rampant issues stemming from the abandoned lodge, the city has implemented some remedial measures.
Outreach teams have been deployed to connect drug users with available services, while street cleaning efforts have taken place a couple of times each week.
Local authorities, including police and ambulances, have also been called to address various incidents arising from the hotel’s disrepair.
Just last week, new fencing was installed to secure the building’s back parking lot, and city crews worked to empty the dumpster that was habitually overflowing, much to the relief of nearby residents.
Supervisor Bilal Mahmood heralded these clean-up efforts as a significant step towards revitalization, describing a shift from “grime to sublime.”
However, residents of the Tenderloin remain skeptical, stating that these measures are insufficient.
On a recent afternoon, individuals were observed sprawled out on the sidewalk in front of the hotel, deeply affected by substance abuse.
Trash piled high in areas that appeared to be occupied by squatters, with some doors ajar while others were hastily boarded up.
On the hotel’s upper floor, a dog painted red with spray paint wandered, while another dog lounged nearby, oblivious to the chaos.
As the sun set, shadows slipped into the brightly lit hallways of the decrepit hotel, now a canvas of graffiti and decay.
Since its closure, the Civic Center Inn has gone on sale for $21 million, with the price now dropping to under $10 million, after two challenging years on the market.
Neighbors have reached a consensus that the onus lies with the property owner to take decisive action.
They believe that if he remains indifferent, the city should intervene to mitigate the negative impact on the community.
Vijay Patel, the hotel’s owner, has been noncommittal regarding the proposal to sell to City Hope.
When asked, Patel responded, “I don’t know, it depends,” but provided no further clarification and abruptly ended the conversation.
Dhyan Investments, the LLC linked to Patel and registered as the building’s owner until 2023, reportedly owes the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes, raising questions about the connection between Patel and the investment firm.
Supervisor Mahmood stated his support for Trudeau’s idea of a sober facility.
He envisions the space either operating again as a hotel or serving a purpose that enhances community vitality.
“Current conditions are not appropriate or sustainable,” he remarked firmly.
Tenderloin’s acting police captain, Kevin Knoble, echoed the same sentiment, noting that the police have been aggressively pushing Patel to address the unacceptable conditions surrounding the hotel.
“We’re trying to get the owner to do something about cleaning it up,” Knoble stated.
He stressed the need for either revitalization or securing the premises effectively to prevent loitering that contributes to community blight.
While waiting for definitive action from Patel, local residents are taking matters into their own hands.
To deter squatters from accessing their roof, the art gallery Modernism Inc. invested in building a formidable steel fence.
Trudeau has secured the hotel’s dumpster to prevent trash — which has been known to develop algae — from accumulating there.
Ysa Mohamat, a local barbershop owner, shared the troubling reality of finding feces on the curb as he and his wife navigate the area.
He remarked that even recent mornings have seen several unsightly piles, reflecting broader community degradation.
At Zen Yai, a popular Thai restaurant, employee Mac Wessapraweenwech disclosed that he provides food to those in need but keeps contact information for a homeless outreach team on the wall for safety.
He also noted that the closure of the hotel significantly exacerbated issues on the block, as it attracted more loitering and deterred patrons from visiting the restaurant, which has felt the burden of its proximity to the derelict inn.
Wessapraweenwech expressed optimism that reopening a hotel could rejuvenate both the area and local businesses, but he acknowledged the deep-rooted history of criminal activity associated with the Civic Center Inn.
For anything to truly change, he stated, the right owner must step forward to revitalize the space and its surrounding community.
As Adam Le, owner of the motorcycle repair shop City Cycle Werkes, poignantly put it, “It’s the same shit every day for the last 10 years,” emphasizing the urgent need for change.
He described the situation with the hotel as a “cancer” that is currently treated with nothing more than minimal pain relief, suggesting that a better solution is indeed possible.
image source from：https://missionlocal.org/2025/04/sf-tenderloin-lawless-abandoned-tenderloin-civic-center-inn/
