Preliminary Permits Filed For Alexandria Theater Redevelopment, San Francisco

Preliminary permits have been filed for the redevelopment of the Alexandria Theater at 5400 Geary Boulevard in San Francisco’s Richmond District. The proposal looks to demolish the vacant theater and construct an eight-story mixed-use complex with for-sale housing and a ground-floor cafe. Timespace Group is the property owner.

5400 Geary Boulevard seen from along 18th Avenue, rendering by G7A

5400 Geary Boulevard vertical cross-section, illustration by G7A

The 81-foot-tall structure is expected to yield over 120,880 square feet, including 103,870 square feet of housing, 1,710 square feet of ground-level retail, and 1,440 square feet for a ground-floor black-box theater. Parking for 96 bicycles will be included. The complex is expected to produce 83 units, including 14 one-bedrooms, 51 two-bedrooms, and 18 three-bedrooms. Ten units will be deed-restricted as affordable housing, including eight low-income households and two moderate-income households.

According to the application, several distinctive elements of the theater will be preserved and incorporated into the new housing, including the exterior marquee, interior sunburst chandelier, the Art Deco murals, and bas-relief panels. These features will be “kept and repaired or replaced in kind to match the feature’s material, dimensions, finish, profile, and details,” according to project documents. The theater’s blade sign, which was demolished in early 2023, will be rebuilt.

Alexandria Theater historic elements that will be preserved, illustration by G7A

5400 Geary Boulevard aerial view, rendering by G7A

5400 Geary Boulevard ground-level floor plan, illustration by G7A

G7A is the project architect, and Fletcher Studio will be the landscape architect. Aaron Jon Hyland of Placemaking SF is listed as the preservation architect involved, with Architectural Resources Group providing conservation services. The ground floor will include three larger apartments with stoops facing 18th Avenue, adding activity to the sidewalk.

The applicant is enabled by a special use district established by the city last year, targeting this singular lot. The Alexandria Theater Special Use District was approved to allow “a density bonus and modifications to existing zoning controls for a residential project in the SUD.”

Alexandria Theater circa 2022, prior to the removal of the Alexandria blade sign, image via Google Street View

The 0.35-acre property is located along Geary Boulevard between 18th Avenue and 19th Avenue.

The estimated cost and timeline for construction have yet to be shared.

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