Mr. Herbert played a major role in assisting MEDA’s acquisition, redesign, and renovation of the Plaza Adelante project. In October 2008, MEDA began its search for a permanent home after being displaced three times during his tenure on the board. Since its opening in March 2010, Plaza Adelante has become a vibrant community space, with art exhibits by local artists, the retail “Mercadito” business incubator, and lively events ranging from panel discussions to training and social events.
Plaza Adelante is changing the face of asset development in San Francisco. What was once a 21,000 square-foot furniture store in the heart of San Francisco Mission District is now a new and innovative model for economic empowerment. Plaza Adelante is a $15 million new market-tax credit project. It is the first and only community center explicitly developed for asset development. Designed to help families and whole communities overcome barriers to prosperity, Plaza Adelante was created for hard-working Latino families and offers a holistic set of services in a fully bilingual English-Spanish environment.