In a swap that we all should have seen coming, what was once the last gun store in San Francisco is slated to become a medical marijuana dispensary. And, because it's just too perfect, 7x7 reports that the dispensary's owner plans to keep the gun shop's name: High Bridge.
High Bridge Arms closed in October of last year, following a decision by the general manager to get out of business before a new ordinance sponsored by Supervisor Mark Farrell requiring all guns sales in SF be videotaped went into effect. The store, located on Mission Street between Valencia and Powers Avenue, had been in business since the mid-1950s, but GM Steven Alcairo said at the time that he was unwilling to comply with the forthcoming legislation.
“What we don’t do is voluntarily give private information to the police department," explained Alcairo. "We just don’t do that. People are very private about their information.”
Supervisor Farrell, for his part, seemed fine with the closure and told the Examiner as much. “At the end of the day I would much rather see a preschool, a coffee shop, a senior center or some other neighborhood-serving entity that contributes to the vitality of our city in its place."
No word yet on whether or not the supervisor thinks a marijuana dispensary "contributes to the vitality of our city."
Sean Killen, the founder of the new cannabis club, also spoke with KTVU about the transition from gun shop to pot club. "It seems very San Francisco," he observed. "It seems like one of those things that for us, it seems like it was one of those things that was supposed to happen the way it did."
High Bridge is set to replace nearby Bernal Heights Collective, which will likely be evicted next month. "We really want it to be safe and affordable access for everybody here and hopefully it'll spread out to the rest of San Francisco," Killen explained.
As long as city officials approve Killen's plans, the club will open in July. No word yet on whether the new High Bridge will carry AK-47.
Related: It's Official: As Of October, There Will Be No Gun Shops In San Francisco