Established back in 1921, the Garibaldi Nursery was one of around two dozen local Italian and Italian-American cut-flower nurseries that dominated the Portola District back in the early twentieth century.  But following World War II, the lands which the nurseries had occupied were largely redeveloped and replaced by housing.... Read More »

The bid to formally recognize the modernist building at the center of UCSF’s 10-acre Laurel Heights campus as historic, a move which was initiated by opponents of the proposed redevelopment of the campus, as we first reported earlier this year, has been successful. Supported by both San Francisco’s Historic... Read More »

While SKS Partners and the Prado Group have been pushing forward with plans to redevelop the 10-acre Laurel Heights campus at 3333 California Street, which it has acquired from UCSF, a bid to block or delay the project has been made. As proposed by the Laurel Heights Partners project... Read More »

Up until the 1960s, the total population of Diamond Heights, between Noe Valley and Glen Canyon, was under 400 people. Following a post-World War II population boom resultant housing shortage in San Francisco, the newly formed (and since disbanded) San Francisco Redevelopment Agency set its sights on the three... Read More »

Purchased by a local contractor for $1.282 million in March of 2012, plans to allow the construction of a new garage, a new entry stair and “minor façade alterations” to accommodate a new entrance for the secondary unit of the Craftsman-style home at 151-153 Liberty Street were subsequently approved,... Read More »

Designed by master architect Timothy Pflueger and opened in 1931, the 1,800-seat El Rey Theater at 1970 Ocean Avenue was shuttered and sold to Voice of Pentecost in 1977, which then converted the 35,000-square-foot building into a church and small Pentecostal school. Mortgaged to pay for upgrades to the... Read More »

Plans to convert the two-story warehouse building at 1076 Howard Street into 15,000 square feet of open tech space are in the works, which includes an expansion of the building’s mezzanine level and the addition of a new roof deck and stairwell. While historic designations can hinder development, in... Read More »

In a sign of the times with a side of irony, the Luxor Cab Company, which has operated in San Francisco since 1928, has applied for Legacy Business status and a grant from the city. From the Planning Department’s summary of the business and application (which it’s recommending be... Read More »

Working with San Francisco Architectural Heritage and Precita Eyes, a Planning Department summer intern has created an inventory and historical index for the murals that adorn San Francisco’s Mission District, an overview of which will be presented to San Francisco’s Historic Preservation Commission tomorrow afternoon. The point of the... Read More »

While San Francisco’s Historic Preservation Commission is slated to formally forego a nomination of Loren ‘Hap’ Jones’ former motorcycle shop at 235 Valencia Street for landmark status, a designation which could have blocked a redevelopment of the Mission District site, the Commission is poised to make an administrative change... Read More »