The old Harding Theater on Divisadero and Hayes has been sitting empty for years, trashed and covered with graffiti. At one point its owners wanted to turn it into condos, but their plans were dashed by a neighborhood preservation group that wanted the theater restored without condos or retail. The theater has been on and off the market since the condo proposal fell through. It sits next to a trash-covered empty lot covered that belongs to the owner of the Harding, and now that owner, Michael Klestoff, has turned his attention to developing just the empty lot. An application for nine one-bedroom units with a shared roof deck is making its way through Planning at the moment, according to Hoodline.
Klestoff's original condo plans involved demolishing the Harding and building 18 condos across both sites. Now that he has downsized his plans, there is no word on the fate of the Harding itself. A group of local business owners and neighbors worked together to make an offer on theater last year, but it was turned down. At the time, Klestoff told Hoodline that the theater is no longer for sale and that he is looking for a tenant for the dilapidated building. In the meantime, Mark Topetcher of TOPetcher Architecture has come on board to design the adjacent residences, which are now under environmental review.
· What Development Hell Looks Like for NoPa's Harding Theater [Curbed SF]
· Show's Over: Hard Knocks for Harding Theater [Curbed SF]
· New Apartments Headed to Empty Lot Near Harding Theater [Hoodline]
· An Update on the Long-Vacant Harding Theater [Hoodline]
· 616 Divisadero Street [SF Planning]