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Historic Preservation Commission backs California Register nomination for 310 Seventh Street
Summary
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission voted 7-0 to support a California Register nomination for 310 Seventh Street in SoMa, with staff asking nominators to expand LGBTQ historic context and add documentary detail on the Metropolitan Furniture Manufacturing Company and the building’s architect.
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to adopt a resolution supporting a California Register nomination for 310 Seventh Street, a three-story Renaissance Revival light-industrial building in the South of Market neighborhood.
Commission staff, including Tim Frey, said the department concurs with the nomination’s finding that the building meets California Register criterion 3 for architecture, describing defining features such as its rectangular plan, open loft spaces and steel-sash industrial windows. Frey said the department disagreed with the consultant’s conclusion that the property was not eligible under criterion 1 (events), noting the building had been identified previously as a contributor to the Western SoMa Light Industrial and Residential Historic District.
The nomination was prepared by Page & Turnbull; Josh Bevin of Page & Turnbull presented the architectural history and field research, telling the commission that the building was constructed in 1922 and received a third-story addition in 1927. Bevin said the district’s period of significance runs roughly 1906–1936 and that the building retains high integrity except for changes to its immediate setting.
Chris Foley, representing the project sponsor, described the owner as a preservationist who has retained original construction documents and sought a nomination route that would be timely and engage the community. "This was the most expeditious way of getting it done," Foley said, adding that the nomination would enable planning-code incentives available to California- and National-Register-listed properties.
Commissioners pressed why the sponsor chose a California Register nomination rather than seeking a local landmark designation or a National Register nomination. Staff and the sponsor said the California Register process offered a faster, more predictable route that still secures certain planning incentives. Commissioners also urged stronger documentation of LGBTQ-related history in SoMa, including the site’s past association with the city’s leather community, and asked nominators to provide more analysis of the Metropolitan Furniture Manufacturing Company and the building’s architect.
Commissioner Jonck moved to adopt a resolution of findings in support of the nomination, subject to staff’s recommended revisions. The motion passed unanimously, 7–0. The commission directed staff to forward the commission’s comments and the revised nomination to the State Historic Preservation Office for consideration.
The commission’s action is supportive only; final listing on the California Register is decided at the state level, and staff and nominators said they will revise the nomination to add requested contextual details before submission.
