Castro Health Center on Track

San Francisco's largest HIV/AIDS-related nonprofit is continuing to build a gay men's health and wellness center in the Castro neighborhood as it also aims to re-launch one of its fundraising events.

Once the three-story space at 474 Castro Street is completed, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation will merge its Magnet health center; the Stonewall Project, which provides drug counseling programs; and the Stop AIDS Project, which focuses on HIV prevention, into the new location.

In September, the nonprofit will hold its Big Gay 10K, which last occurred in 2012. The AIDS foundation, which last year had a budget of about $24 million, had been the lead agency for the annual San Francisco AIDS Walk for years, but lost that event to Project Inform, another nonprofit, starting this year. The switch left SFAF with a funding gap of about $750,000.

In an interview this week, AIDS foundation CEO Neil Giuliano didn't have an exact opening date for the health center.

"We're still saying late this year, early next year," said Giuliano.

The fundraising goal is still $10 million, which will go toward physical construction of the facility and expanding programs. Giuliano wouldn't say how much of that money has been raised.

"We're still in the quiet phase of the campaign," he said, but those involved are "incredibly pleased with progress so far." Corporate and private donors and others "are really stepping up in big ways to support the project," he added.

The quiet phase will end "likely by the end of this year," said Giuliano. That means "there's a potential" for the public fundraising campaign to begin as the center is opening "but we don't have any specific dates" for when the second phase of fundraising will start.

Giuliano couldn't say what the largest donation has been.

"We don't have approval from donors to release that kind of information yet," he said.

He also said there's no "formal name" for the center yet, "but we are under way with a branding process to determine what that will be." He added, "It's only June. We have lots of time to complete that process in a professional way and make sure it goes well."

He said his organization has all the permits it needs for major construction and tenant improvements.

"I think we're in pretty good shape in that regard," said Giuliano. "Now it's just full steam ahead to get the work done."

The AIDS foundation has been updating its blog about the new center at www.474castro.org. Giuliano said work has included redoing plumbing and installing stronger foundations.

"It's a very old building so there's a lot that had to be brought up to code, but we're on track," he said. "It's pretty much on schedule."

But Giuliano said, "More important than the physical design of the building is the design of the client experience." Part of the work involves "going through all the different scenarios of clients and what clients' needs are, so it's a very seamless transition for our clients when we're in the new facility."

Gay Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose District 8 includes the Castro, is a longtime supporter of SFAF's plans for the building.

"To have a health center for our community with that breadth of services is going to be very, very positive," said Wiener.

"Magnet has been a tremendous success, so much so that it takes a while to get an appointment," and putting that clinic into a larger space will allow it to "flourish," he said. Combining Magnet with the other programs "in one community health care space will make all of them more successful."

Wiener said, "My perception is fundraising has been strong." He contributed to the AIDS/LifeCycle, but he hasn't made a donation specifically toward the health center. He said he plans to do so.

The LifeCycle, which concluded June 7, is the annual bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that benefits the AIDS foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

This year's ride raised "well over $15 million, which is a new record for the AIDS/LifeCycle," said Giuliano.

Big Gay 10K

The AIDS foundation will produce the Big Gay 10K run and walk to fight AIDS September 6 in Golden Gate Park.

The group had been the primary beneficiary of the annual AIDS Walk San Francisco for more than 20 years. But MZA Events, which produces the AIDS Walk, announced in 2012 that it was switching to another nonprofit, Project Inform, beginning with this year's walk, which is set for July 20.

The move left the AIDS foundation with a budget gap of $750,000. After the nonprofit cut grants to partners, the deficit decreased to $500,000.

Giuliano said, "We will more than make that up with what we raise from the Big Gay 10K and increased performance from other platforms," including individual giving, the Santa Skivvies run, and the nonprofit's annual dinner.

The 10K run isn't meant to compete with the AIDS Walk, he said.

"It's a very different model," he said, describing it as a "fun, very spirited, costumed big gay walk and run."

He added, "We were supposed to have [the 10K event] last year," but the city "canceled our permit" in favor of an America's Cup yacht race event.

About 1,000 people are expected to participate in the event. The goal is to raise more than the last 10K in 2012, which brought in "just over $66,000," according to SFAF spokesman Ryan McKeel.

Giuliano estimated the 10K event, which is being planned mainly by volunteers, would cost "15 cents on the dollar."

"You don't have to be gay" to participate, he added. "You just have to be fabulous."

For more information, visit www.biggay10k.com