Posted on 02/28/2008 7:55:34 AM PST by SmithL
The Cow Palace has hosted some of the biggest musical acts in the past half-century, from the Beatles in 1964 to Metallica in 2004, and it was at the Daly City venue that John F. Kennedy gave his 1960 speech that first outlined his idea for the Peace Corps.
Though it is one of the Bay Area's historic venues for concerts and events, the Cow Palace may soon go the way of other old structures - like New York's Polo Grounds and San Francisco's Playland at the Beach- that are torn down to make way for redevelopment.
State Sen. Leland Yee has introduced a bill to let Daly City purchase the Cow Palace property, which is owned by the state. He said he wants to fix up the neighborhoods near the Cow Palace and put more money in state coffers.
Ultimately, say Yee and Daly City officials, the 68-acre property will be used to build a grocery store, bank, housing and other projects that will benefit people in the underserved areas - including San Francisco's Visitacion Valley - that border the Cow Palace.
Yee, D-San Francisco, said it's not a fait accompli that the Cow Palace would be razed under the terms of the bill and a subsequent sale of the property. But Daly City's manager says otherwise.
"The Cow Palace has outlived its usefulness," said City Manager Patricia Martel. Events there "contribute nothing to our community. Why would we keep it?"
Since Yee introduced the bill Friday that is making its way through State Senate committees, opponents have gathered forces in a bid to preserve what they say is a Bay Area treasure. If anything, they argue, the Cow Palace - built in 1941 with funding from the Works Progress Administration - should receive special status ...officially designated landmark.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...

Martel and the Daly City Council, which lobbied Yee to author his measure, say the Cow Palace hosts too many gun shows, erotic balls and rap concerts, which, said Martel, "contribute nothing to our communityAs always in San Francisco politics, there is an agenda behind the agenda. San Francisco does not care about the Exotic Erotic Ball. They have tried time after time to prevent gun shows from being held there, but they can't, since the State owns it. So, the next best thing would be to bulldoze the place.
Hatred of gun shows runs deep.
Democrats, raise taxes, fund socialism and gun control. Whatever it takes. Like a broken record, it’s all they know.
“The Cow Palace rises above smaller businesses on Geneva Avenue in Daly City on Wednesday. State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, is proposing that the state of California, which owns the property, should sell it to the city of Daly City, which in turn would raze the historic structure and build a shopping center and residential units.”
More residential units in a depressed market?
Pink Floyd, 1974 Dark Side of the Moon Tour, at the Cow Palace *ping*
Best concert ever...
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
All in all its the same old story. A goof ball gets elected and now he thinks he has all the skills to deal in one of the toughest businesses in America - Real Estate Development. So, he'll spend millions, maybe billions in taxpayer dollars on an idle statement he made while pandering to the press and, as always the people will be the ones to take the brunt of the folly.
This was also the site of the 1964 Republican National Convention I believe.
The 1964 Republican National Convention was held at the Cow Palace.
Rockefeller was constantly booed during his speech.
In his acceptance speech, AuH2O declared “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice and . . . moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
Whether a public version of Kelo or a camouflaged attempt to suppress 2nd Amendment pursuits, Yea and Martel's little conspiracy wreaks.
Electing a liberal, child psychologist to high public office can come to no good.
I was thinking of the Kinks “Come Dancing”
They put a parking lot on a piece of land
When the supermarket used to stand.
Before that they put up a bowling alley
On the site that used to be the local palais.
Thats where the big bands used to come and play.
I was looking at the upcoming schedule there. The place is not very active. The National Rodeo is the big thing along with some other spotty liberal events.
Where I live (Hershey) they built a new $$$ indoor arena.
They did not tear down the old one and tried a 5 year plan to see what they could do with it. The old place is making more money today than before with High School sports and hockey leagues. Sometimes it's all in the marketing.
I don't understand the opposition to razing the place. It's a dinosaur.
Second Amendment.
Do you even live in the Bay Area?
A couple of our local chain stores are pulling out of "that part of town" because the shoplifting by those who go there and those who work there mean the store is giving money away...and All The Regular Suspects a bemoaning how "racist" they are, for "abandoning the neighborhood." Let's see if this redevelopement actually yields more taxes, or is simply the removing of an barrier to "new thinking".
I have a solution. Offer the Libs an opportunity to replace the Cow Palace with a Wal-Mart.
I like it. It’s a great location for one.
I love the footage of the cops carrying out the trash all knocked out.....
The Cow Palace is a fine monument to American culture !
A better show would be Rush (the band).
Rush? I’d rather listen to nails on a blackboard.
Reagan's "The Speech" was delivered there in '64.
Yes. Absolutely! I'm also very opposed to Kelo or subsidizing redevelopment. The legitimate function of government is to get out of the way of the free market. I'm also a fan of market driven gentrification.
Do you even live in the Bay Area?
No. I'm even uncomfortable visiting the region. I'll remain so until the loony left, both Irish and Italian, the excesses of permissiveness of the city itself and the adulteration of founding principles are less well represented in the region.
Baghdad by the bay is beautiful on a few spring days but I'll stick to photos, thank you. As an acquaintance of mine once warned; "It's a city that's waiting to die."
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