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Historic Preservation Commission unanimously recommends landmark designation for Marcus Books building at 1712–1716 Fillmore
Summary
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission voted 7–0 to forward a resolution recommending the Board of Supervisors designate 1712–1716 Fillmore Street (Marcus Books/Jimbo’s Bop City) as an Article 10 landmark, after staff and public testimony about the site’s cultural significance and a staff memo clarifying Article 10 protects physical features rather than historic uses.
The San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously on Nov. 6, 2013, to recommend that the Board of Supervisors designate 1712–1716 Fillmore Street — historically known as Jimbo’s Bop City and home to Marcus Books — as an Article 10 landmark.
The department’s preservation staff presented a revised landmark report and a draft resolution recommending designation. Mary Brown, department staff, told the commission the report was updated to add cultural context linking Japanese American and African American experiences in the Fillmore District and that a memo from staff clarifies Article 10 landmark designation applies to the building’s physical features, not to preserving a building’s historic use.
"The department supports the proposal to designate 1712 to 1716 Fillmore Street, the building known historically as Jimbo's Bop City and Marcus Books, as an Article 10 landmark," Mary Brown said.
Public commenters urged the commission to move forward. Dr. Ahimsa Porterson Chai told the commission she "urged you to support the staff recommendation" and cited Section 1,004.1 of the Planning Code in support of designation. Community advocates described the building’s cultural contribution, including its role as a gathering place for authors and musicians.
Chek Anderson described preservation battles in other Bay Area cities and said protecting the Fillmore site preserves a "worldwide" cultural legacy. Rick McAllister and other speakers recounted Jimbo’s Bop City’s musical history and the building’s role as a community anchor; Desiree Smith of San Francisco Heritage said the revised report strengthened cultural-context documentation and urged approval.
Several speakers raised concerns about ongoing litigation related to the property and asked the commission to avoid influencing that process. Commission discussion addressed that point and the scope of an Article 10 designation. Commissioner Pearlman noted prior designations that preserved buildings’ physical history while uses later changed, and Deputy City Attorney Andrea Villescuir advised the commission that Article 10 protects physical characteristics and does not mandate preserving the historic use of a property.
Commissioner Matsuda moved to adopt the department’s draft resolution recommending designation; the motion was seconded and passed by unanimous roll call (Commissioners Hyland, Jonk, Johns, Matsuda, Perlman, Wolfram and Commission President Haas voting yes).
The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for subsequent hearings.
Notes: The transcript records public commenters and staff using variant spellings and phrasings; this article uses the standard local names Marcus Books and Jimbo’s Bop City and cites the staff memo explaining Article 10 protects physical features, not use.
