The long long dormant Hibernia Bank building at the corner of Jones and Market/McAllister, which for over a decade has been no more than a neo-classical pigeon roost, is finally seeing some construction activity, and according to one permit document, it's being remodeled as a nightclub.
Socketsite brings us the rumor, which is unconfirmed by the building's owners since 2008, the Dolmen Property Group. As discussed previously on SFist, the building's historical status has held up some of the process, with the developer hashing out interior details (like a marble countertop and stained glass windows) that the Historic Preservation Commission insisted be kept. Dolmen had hinted previously at a retail use, but a nightclub seems like it would work well for the area, especially given all the upcoming hotel action that's happening within just a block.
The building has serious historical significance, having been a flagship home to one of the city's first banks, founded in 1859. The building was completed in 1892 and quickly became one of San Franciscans' favorites, and it survived the 1906 earthquake and fire with minimal damage, reopening on May 25, 1906, to a five-block long line of depositors needing access to their cash. (See photo below.)
Per the documents:
Within the building, new shear walls and an elevator will be installed, portions of the existing teller counter will be removed and stored on site, and “character-defining features” and materials such as the extensive decorative marble, plaster, and stained glass will be protected in place and cleaned and repaired as necessary.
The last time anyone made any use of it was in the 1990s when it was used as a temporary police headquarters during the construction of a new Tenderloin Station. The SFPD moved out of the building in 2000 and it's been boarded up ever since occasionally becoming a tempting target for ambitious taggers.
This is another huge leap forward for Mid-Market gentrification. But most importantly, I can't wait to see the inside of this thing (though we do have one extant photo below). I just really hope the club like Infusion Lounge, because that would be horrible.
An old photo of the interior.
Previously: Hibernia Bank Building Might Finally Become Something Next Year
Hibernia Bank reopening after the '06 earthquake on May 25, 1906.
