Castro Theater

1. 1922

   The theatre anchored the northern end of the Castro Street commercial corridor, linking the commercial growth on Market Street to the major intersection of Castro and 18th streets.

   Eureka Valley Historic Context Statement, adopted 2017
2. 1922

   The Castro Theater, designed by architect Timothy Pflueger.

   Architecture, Planning & Preservation Professionals: A Collection of Biographies, adopted 2021
3. 1922

   Fire-insurance maps show a pair of apartment buildings and a garage on the site before the theatre was built.

   Corbett Heights Neighbors, "March Neighborhood News", Vol. VIII, No. 3 (1 March 2026)
4. 1922

   The Nasser family commissioned the Castro Theater.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
5. June 22, 1922

   Opened with 2,000 seats, at a cost of $300,000. Faggioni Studios did the interior decoration and the orchestral organ was a Robert Morton.

   Corbett Heights Neighbors, "March Neighborhood News", Vol. VIII, No. 3 (1 March 2026)
6. 1937

   The vertical blade sign and the present marquee were put up.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
7. August 12, 1964

   Photographed, showing the Castro Theater.

   San Francisco Subjects Photograph Collection (SFP 162), San Francisco Public Library
8. 1976

   The theatre was revived as a repertory house catering to camp-attuned audiences. That revival, the founding of the Castro Street Fair in 1974 and the move of gay Halloween festivities from Polk Street and North Beach to the Castro in 1976 together solidified the neighbourhood's gay identity.

   Eureka Valley Historic Context Statement, adopted 2017
9. 1977

   Designated San Francisco Landmark No. 100, Castro Theatre, by Ordinance No. 355-77.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
10. February 10, 1977

    Over its owner's objection, the City Planning Commission voted 6 to 1 to approve designating the Castro Theatre a city landmark (Resolution 7663).

    San Francisco City Planning Commission minutes, San Francisco Public Library (Internet Archive)
11. June 23, 1977

    By 23 June 1977, the Board of Supervisors' Planning, Housing and Development Committee had voted 2 to 1 to recommend that the full Board refuse the Castro Theatre's landmark designation.

    San Francisco City Planning Commission minutes, San Francisco Public Library (Internet Archive)
12. July 7, 1977

    By 7 July 1977, the Board of Supervisors had approved the designation of the Castro Theatre as a City landmark.

    San Francisco City Planning Commission minutes, San Francisco Public Library (Internet Archive)
13. Oct 1989

    Permit 8920575 $$$ $10,000

    E.m.o.

14. Apr 1994

    Permit 9405469 $$$ $20,000

    Add wheelchair seating for ada alterrestrm to add men's.

15. May 1994

    Permit 9408215 $$$ $12,000

    Ada upgrade work-seating & restrooms 9405469.

16. Jul 1996

    Permit 9613028 $$$ $3,600

    Addition of automatic dooor openers.

17. 2001

    New auditorium seats in movie-palace style were installed, among other upgrades.

    SF Planning, landmark designation
18. Jul 2001

    Permit 200107264584 $$$ $57,758

    Reroofing.

19. Aug 2003

    Permit 200308273167 $$$ $12,850

    Add counters and furniture for a salon in an existing retail commercial space. provide level landing for.

20. Jan 2012

    Permit 201201232702 $$$ $1

    To comply with nov 200855913; remove vegetation attached to rear wall, by jose lopez garden service during march 1 thru 4, 2008.

21. Jul 2012

    Permit 201207054168 $$$ $45,000

    Modif. toexistingsprint unmanned telecom fac. 3 existingpanel antennas to be removed (3 ea of antennas). 6new panel antennas mounted inside. 3 newfrp radomes to replace 1 existingradome/n rru's per antenna. 2 new gps. 4 equipment cabinets to be removed & 4neweqpt cabinets to be installed on roof new antennas.

22. Jul 2015

    Permit 201507151623 $$$ $30,000

    Sprint wts revision appl. #2012.0705.4168. revise scope of work to install 3 2.5 ghz antennas on a single pole screened by a faux chimney radone on the south corner of the roof for sect. b location. 800/1900 antennas model has been updated. location remain. no other change to antennas or equip.

23. Jan 2016

    Permit 201601207470 $$$ $2,500

    Revision to pa 2015-0715-1623 for electrical and fiber. original scope remains the same.

24. Nov 2021

    Filed Permit 202111041829 $$$ $25,000

    Cell site: replace 3 existing antennas and installing 3 new. installing 6 new radios, replacing, 2 electrical cabinet, and ancellary electrical equipment as per plans.

25. 2023

    The designation was amended by Ordinance No. 109-23 to list the exterior features to be preserved, add interior features, and recognise the theater's place in LGBTQ history since the mid-1970s.

    SF Planning, landmark designation
26. Jun 2023

    Permit 202306260817 $$$ $130,000

    Dish: remove existing sprint equipment and antenas, insatll (3) new antennas inside (2) new radomes, install (1) new cabinet, install new power and fiber trunks, re-use existing telco conduit, no proposed batteries.

27. Feb 2024

    Issued Permit 202402296854 $$$ $5,788,309

    Priority: renovation & addition to historic castro theater.floor system with an access. path to the platform, neworgan lift & organ cover, newhvac system, thetrical system upgrades & electrical, fire alarm, lighting & plumbing upgrades.addition installed overexistingfoundations includesnewdressing rms & restrms.

28. Mar 2024

    Permit 202403288857 $$$ $15,000

    Interior soft demolition per ab - 017 to comply with correction notice 202422088.

29. Dec 2024

    Issued Permit 202410293997 $$$ $1

    Deferred submittal for 202402296854 for retractable seating platforms.

30. Aug 2025

    Permit 202508012175 $$$ $1

    Deferred submittal for permit application 202402296854 for organ lift. prioruty project as approved in permit application 202402296854.

31. Aug 2025

    Permit 202508012176 $$$ $1

    Deferred submittal for permit application 202402296854 for production rigging. priority project as approved in permit application 202402296854.

32. Aug 2025

    Issued Permit 202508012166 $$$ $1

    Priority project as approved in 202402296854. revise 202402296854, 202503172376 for architectural, structural, and mep changes, including trench details, doors, steel details, sanitary and sewer piping, fixture counts, mechanical grilles, circuits plus emergency lighting.

33. Aug 2025

    Permit 202508012172 $$$ $1

    Deferred submittal for permit application 202402296854 for organ cover. prioruty project as approved in permit application 202402296854.

34. Sep 2025

    Issued Permit 202509125223 $$$ $1

    Revision to permit application 202402296854 for architectural, mechanical, & electrical changes related to relocation of mechanical shaft/to relocate mechancical shaft.change of use to include live entertainment programming and bars was extablished under permit application 202402296854. priorty project as approved.

35. Dec 2025

    Issued Permit 202512020707 $$$ $71,987

    Provide new manual emergency fire communication system. the system shall include: new voice fire alarm control unit in ground floor storage room. cellular communicator provided for supervising station communication. monitored for integrity a the facu and the supervising station for any communication.

36. Jan 2026

    Issued Permit 202601224372 $$$ $1

    Revision to permit application 202402296854, 202503172376, 202509125223 to remove material lift rom project scope. the change of use live entertainment programming was established under permit application 202402296854.

37. Jan 2026

    Permit 202601264513 $$$ $1

    Evacuation signage for pa202402296854.

38. February 6, 2026

    Reopened to the public after a two-year closure and a $41 million renovation that restored historic elements and added removable seating for concerts.

    Corbett Heights Neighbors, "March Neighborhood News", Vol. VIII, No. 3 (1 March 2026)

DBI holds 34 permits for this parcel, most of them tenant improvements on individual floors. The timeline shows the 24 largest by stated cost, plus the earliest on file; the DBI query in the sources below returns all 34. 6 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 1 expired permit is not shown.