West Portal Archives - San Francisco YIMBY

85 West Portal Avenue establishing view, rendering by Handel Architects

Formal Application For Empire Theater Redevelopment in West Portal, San Francisco

5:30 am on July 13, 2026 By Andrew Nelson

Formal permits have been filed for plans to replace the vacant Empire Theater with housing at 85 West Portal Avenue in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood. The nine-story proposal would add several dozen apartments above ground-floor retail in the heart of the low-slung neighborhood. DM Development is overseeing the application on behalf of the property owner, Empire West Portal LLC.

Empire Theater circa 1975, image via SF Planning Department

Residential Redevelopment Revealed For Empire Theater in West Portal, San Francisco

5:30 am on January 6, 2026 By Andrew Nelson

Preliminary permits have been filed for the demolition of the vacant Empire Theater at 85 West Portal Avenue in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood. The building has been vacant since Cinemark closed the location in February 2021, with plans to replace it with a nine-story apartment complex with ground-floor retail. Jesse Appleton, co-managing member of Empire West Portal, LLC, is listed as the property owner and applicant.