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Historic preservation commission backs reclassification of James G. Walker Building at 1007 Market Street
Summary
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously April 2 to recommend changing 1007 Market Street (James G. Walker Building) to an Article 11 Category 3 contributory designation, citing newly documented architectural and historic evidence; the recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors.
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously April 2 to recommend that 1007 Market Street, known as the James G. Walker Building, be redesignated under Article 11 from an unrated Category 5 to a Category 3 contributory building.
Jonathan Lamers, preservation staff for the Department of Planning, told commissioners the change of designation is authorized by Planning Code Section 11.06 and rests on new factual information documented in an updated change-of-designation report. Lamers said the building’s architects Cunningham and Politeo, intact Art Nouveau terracotta ornament and a remarkably intact early-20th‑century storefront with a deep vestibule meet the criteria in Section 11.02 for individual or contextual importance.
Architectural historian Michael Corbett, author of the change-of-designation report, described the new research that informed the recommendation, saying the report identified both the architect and engineer and clarified the building’s construction history. “We went from practically essentially nothing to knowing many things,” Corbett said, summarizing the documentary evidence that supports a higher rating.
Community members who use the building also spoke in support. Daryl Smith, cofounder and director of the 509 Cultural Center (the Luggage Store), told the commission the nonprofit has occupied the Walker Building since 1991 and called it “a vital incubator” for artists in the Mid‑Market corridor.
Commissioner Johns moved to adopt the recommendation for approval; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote with all six commissioners voting yes (6–0). The commission’s action is a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors; no final change in legal designation occurs until the Board acts.
The department’s staff report and the change‑of‑designation packet remain the administrative record for the recommendation. The commission’s vote ends with a forward of the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for their consideration.
