BEEN TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A CITY LAW THAT ALLOWS BIGGER BUILDINGS IN EXCHANGE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THE CITY SAYS THAT IT IS SIMPLY TOO BIG FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY HAS DEEP ROOTS IN THE CITY AND THE SOMA NEIGHBORHOOD. NOW BUSINESS OWNERS WANT TO GO EVEN FURTHER TO PUT THEIR CULTURAL DISTRICT ON THE MAP. KELSEY THORNE LOOKS AT THE PUSH TO MAKE THE AREA A THRIVING DESTINATION. >> BETWEEN THESE TWO, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS BETTER? >> Reporter: MIKE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE BAY AREA FILIPINO COMMUNITY HAS WHOLE LIFE. TODAY WE MET AT THIS RESTAURANT TO DISCUSS THE PUSH TO GROW THIS AREA INTO A THRIVING FILIPINO DISTRICT ON PAR WITH OTHER ICONIC DISTRICTS LIKE CHINATOWN. >> WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY CALLED THIS AREA HOME FOR THE LONGEST TIME. TO HAVE IT OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED, RECOGNIZED AND PERHAPS EVEN PLANNED IN A COORDINATE OF FASHION THAT BRINGS FILIPINO BUSINESSES AND LIFTS OF PEOPLE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, I AM ALL FOR THAT. >> Reporter: THE 1.5 SQUARE MILE DISTRICT SOUTH OF MARKET STREET WAS FORMALLY RECOGNIZED AS THE CITY'S FILIPINO CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT BACK IN 2016. WITHIN ITS BORDERS LIE DOZENS OF FILIPINO-OWNED BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS. BUT THOSE WALKING THROUGH THE DISTRICT MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW THEY ARE IN IT. MANY, INCLUDING MIKE, WANT TO CHANGE THAT. >> PROBABLY HAVE SOME -- ON EVERY POLL, PERHAPS SOME SORT OF BANNER THAT MARKS US AS A HISTORIC DISTRICT. PERHAPS THE STREET SIGNAGE MIGHT EVEN BE BILINGUAL OR EVEN BE IN SOME SORT OF FONT THAT DELINEATES US AS DIFFERENT. >> Reporter: THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS STRUGGLED WITH ISSUES RELATED TO HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PANDEMIC. JT RESTAURANT HAS BEEN HERE FOR DECADES AND THE OWNER SAYS THAT IT HAS BEEN HARD TO SEE EVERYTHING CHANGE. >> I HAVE A LOT OF CUSTOMERS. THEY CAME BACK HERE FROM NEW YORK, GERMANY, AND THEY SAY IT IS A BIG CHANGE, AND I SAY YEAH, I KNOW. >> Reporter: SHE HOPES THE PUSH TO REVITALIZE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAKE IT INTO AN EASILY IDENTIFIABLE FILIPINO DISTRICT WILL NOT ONLY HELP HER BUSINESS, BUT HELP ALL WHO CALL THIS AREA HOME. >> THE YOUNG GENERATION, I ALWAYS TELL THEM, YOU NEED TO EMBRACE THIS COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE ARE ONE. >> Reporter: MIKE SAYS THAT IS WHAT MANY IN THE DISTRICT ARE WORKING TOWARDS. >> I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE THE SYNCHRONICITY OF ALL THESE BUSINESSES HERE AND HAVE EVERYBODY WANT TO COME HERE. JUST LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE CHINESE TO GO TO CHINATOWN, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE FILIPINO TO ENJOY THE THINGS, THE CULTURE THAT IS THE PHILIPPINES. >> Reporter: IT WILL TAKE TIME AND EFFORT, BUT THE OUTCOME, MIKE SAYS, WILL BE WORTH IT, BENEFITING THE ENTIRE BAY AREA FILIPINO COMMUNITY AS WELL AS A NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEED.
