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Overview

The prolific San Francisco architectural firm of the Reid Brothers--James and Merritt--designed this somewhat Jacobethan theatre in 1917, and it opened to the public on the night of 11/22/1918, eleven days after the Armistice ended World War I. The facility operated as a neighborhood movie theatre for the Richmond District until 1989, when the Loma Prieta damaged its auditorium, rendering it unsafe for use. It was remodeled into condominiums and a first-floor retail space between 2000 and 2002.

Building Notes

An 1978 neighborhood historic preservation survey, the "Foundation for San Francisco Architectural Heritage," found the Coliseum Theatre to have "major Importance."

Alteration

The Coliseum Theatre #2 installed Vitaphone and Movietone sound systems in 1929, debuting them on Monday night, 02/18. An interior alteration occurred in 1931.

Seismic reinforcement occurred to the building in 1993-1994 and 1996-1997, repairs costing $20,000 and $36,000 respectively.The latter repair focused on the parapet and roof. A permit for demolition was granted by the City of San Francisco on 7/14/1997, but it was never undertaken.

On 4/17/2000, a building permit to convert the abandoned theatre into 14 condominiums and a Walgreen's Drug Store was granted. Work proceeded between 2000-2002. At this time, another permit to "remove the rear of [the] building" was made on 6/20/2000. In the process, the building grew from three stores to four wiithin the existing shell. Since 2010, five building permits were also granted for renovations to individual apartments. (See SF Property Map for 745 Clement Street, accessed 08/05/2015.)

PCAD id: 19690