The 157-year-old waterfront restaurant building, The Cliff House, was struck by a vehicle Tuesday afternoon in a crash that left the driver of that vehicle dead. And we are now getting some more details about what happened.

The crash occurred around 4:39 pm Tuesday, in the parking area just beside the Cliff House, on the 900 block of Point Lobos Avenue. As the Chronicle reports, via new police information, a gray SUV rear-ended a parked white Tesla, but the SUV must have been going at a pretty high rate of speed. The Tesla was just knocked down onto the embankment, while the SUV launched off the cliff, collided with the Cliff House facade and broke two windows, and flipped over before coming to rest down by a lower terrace of the restaurant.

The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Tesla, who may be the person seen sitting on the embankment and speaking to a police officer in SF Fire Department video from the scene, was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries.

The deceased SUV driver has now been identified as 56-year-old San Francisco resident Allen Wong, per the Chronicle.

Besides the broken windows, the Cliff House building did not appear to suffer any structural damage, as a Golden Gate National Recreation Area spokesperson confirmed to the Chronicle. And workers were already working to replace the windows Wednesday.

The new operator of the Cliff House — which may or may not get to use that name in the future due to a trademark claim from the previous operator — Sutro Lands End Partners, put out a statement saying, "We do not know at this time if this accident will cause any delay in the structural and architectural improvements that are currently underway or delay our plan for a full reopening next year."

Sutro Lands End Partners was announced last September as the newly contracted lessee of the federally owned property, after a yearslong request-for-proposals process. The group is led by San Francisco attorney Alexander Leff, a native of the Richmond District, who has previous experience revamping the historic Malibu Pier in Malibu.

Leff has partnered with local restaurant outfit Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group (Trestle, The Vault, The Madrigal), and the contract states that the historic uses of the property must continue, including a restaurant, a café, an event space, and a retail shop.

Ryan Cole, co-founder of Hi Neighbor, said in a statement after the contract announcement that the team plans to "offer a variety of food options at different price points" by bringing in multiple other local hospitality businesses as partners.
"Each will demonstrate the depth and diversity of food and beverage talent in the Bay Area as well as showcase products from local and sustainable farmers, fisherman, and food purveyors," Cole said.

A subsequent look at the lease document revealed that the plans include a mini Ferry Building-esque concept, with an anchor restaurant, an upstairs cafe, and multiple food stalls and cart vendors outside, in the entry plaza and along the sidewalk on Point Lobos Avenue.

So far no specific reopening date has been announced.

Previously: One Dead After Car Flies Off Cliff at Point Lobos