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Commission advances seven businesses to San Francisco's Legacy Business Registry
Summary
The Historic Preservation Commission unanimously advanced staff recommendations to list seven long-standing San Francisco businesses — including Adobe Books, Mechanics Institute and New Asia — in the Legacy Business Registry, citing community role and unique physical/traditional features.
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission on Sept. 18 voted unanimously to advance seven businesses for listing in the city's Legacy Business Registry, endorsing staff recommendations that identified site features and cultural traditions to safeguard.
Shelly Caltagirone of preservation staff summarized the nominations for Adobe Books & Arts Cooperative (3130 Fourth Street), the HAVRA club (875 Gary Street), the Mechanics Institute (57 Post Street), New Asia restaurant (772 Pacific Avenue), National Picture Framing Centers/Framorama (multiple locations), Soudini's Green Valley (510 Green Street) and Anresco (ANRESCO) Laboratories (Van Dyke Avenue). For each, staff outlined founding dates, historic role and the physical or programmatic features recommended for preservation.
Mechanics Institute librarian Taryn Edwards told the commission the institute has served public learning and chess education since its 1854 founding, "We continue these aims," she said, noting the institute's community programming reaches dozens of schools. Business representatives — including Mark Sodini for Soudini's Green Valley, Jim Drago for Framerama, David Eisenberg for ANRESCO and Heather Holt for Adobe Books — described long local histories, neighborhood ties and employee counts in support of listing.
Commissioners praised the variety of businesses and their community roles. Commissioner Johns moved and Commissioner Black seconded the motion to adopt staff recommendations and move the applicants forward for registry listing; the commission approved the motion 5-0.
Staff noted related outreach and capacity-building work: an Office of Economic and Workforce Development partner is initiating programming on succession planning and cooperative/worker-owned models to help legacy businesses adapt. The commission requested staff follow up on possible collaboration and information sharing with commissioners.
Ending: The unanimous vote moves the seven nominations forward in the legacy-business process; final registry placement and any attendant benefits will follow the program's next administrative steps.
