500–508 Castro Street

1. 1910s

   The drugstore displaced from 17th and Collingwood by the Market Street extension moved to this corner.

   Corbett Heights Neighbors, "April Neighborhood News", Vol. VIII, No. 4 (1 April 2026)
2. 1918

   Built.

3. 1970s

   The Midnight Sun, a cruising bar at 506 Castro Street, opened in the mid-1970s with an elaborate film, video and sound system showing old movies, television shows, cartoons and music videos on several screens. Police looking to harass gay drivers stopped them and asked whether they were going down to the Midnight Sun, ticketing any man who showed recognition of the name.

   Eureka Valley Historic Context Statement, adopted 2017
4. May 21, 1979

   On the night of the White Night Riots, after Dan White's conviction on two counts of manslaughter, two dozen police officers descended on the Castro, striking passers-by with clubs and attacking those seeking safety in the Elephant Walk bar. The violence led to an FBI investigation of the police department at the request of the US Justice Department's civil rights division.

   Eureka Valley Historic Context Statement, adopted 2017
5. Jun 1989

   Permit 8911583 $$$ $85,000

   Fire repair, roof and wall framing only.

6. Oct 1989

   Permit 8918508 $$$ $35,000

   Handicap work to 1st floor, awnings new store front.

7. Jun 1990

   Permit 9012215 $$$ $20,000

   Install wood doors in store front.

8. Dec 1995

   Permit 9520494 $$$ $500

   Raise electrical fixtures to ceiling.

9. May 2002

   Permit 200205227179 $$$ $49,000

   Fire repair/3 joists/3 life wall framing/subfloor sheetrock and h/c upgrade.

10. May 2002

    Issued Permit M20473 $$$ $40,000

    Street space.

11. Aug 2011

    Issued Permit 201108303564 $$$ $44,650

    Reroofing.

12. Mar 2014

    Permit 201403312022 $$$ $4,200

    Repalce rotted casing, millwork + some brackets, street sides exterior work. repair in kind.

13. Nov 2014

    Issued Permit 201411181783 $$$ $65,000

    Site permit. change of use from retail to limited restaurant. maher n/a.

14. Sep 2015

    Permit 201509177307 $$$ $10,000

    Interior non-structural demolition in preperation for future t.i. per ab-017. tenant improvement under separate permit. n/a for maher.

15. Aug 2019

    Issued Permit 201908148726 $$$ $1

    Administrative permit for issuance of an assembly permit for an occupancy of 74.

16. May 2022

    Issued Permit 202205244935 $$$ $3,150

    Awning cover. vinyl. "earthbar".

17. May 2022

    Issued Permit 202205254974 $$$ $1

    Permit to vest the conditional use authorization for earthbar. no work required, no change of use, no change to layout & no equipment changes.

18. Jan 2025

    Issued Permit 202411054391 $$$ $550,000

    Prop h: tenant improvement to include demolishng existing bar, kitchen, bathrooms and demizing wall between 500 and 504 castro street. install new bar, new kitchen, new bathrooms, new stairs and mezzanine, new finishes, fixures and lighting. replace exterior windows & doors.

19. Jul 2025

    Permit 202507281767 $$$ $500

    Installation of ul 710b listed ventless hood model naks vh. 48 serial no 33491/volts 230 in a commercial kitchen in 506 castro street. it will be installed according to the manufacture specification. all application will be locked in place "star max grill & vantco 3 burner grill.

DBI holds 26 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 26. 1 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 9 expired or cancelled permits are not shown.