708–710 Montgomery Street

1. 1906

   Built.

2. 1931

   The Canessa Printing Company, founded in the early 1900s, was still operating here as late as 1931.

   Donna J. Graves and Shayne E. Watson, Citywide Historic Context Statement for LGBTQ History in San Francisco, San Francisco Planning Department, adopted by the Historic Preservation Commission November 18, 2015
3. 1933

   The Black Cat operated here between 1933 and 1963, one of the North Beach bars and restaurants the city's survey identifies as significant in San Francisco's LGBTQ history.

   North Beach Historic Context Statement, adopted 2022
4. 1933

   The Black Cat Cafe occupied the ground floor of the Canessa Building from 1933 to 1963, becoming a bohemian anchor of the Jackson Square district; a 1951 California Supreme Court ruling in the bar's favour established that serving alcohol to homosexual patrons was not itself grounds to revoke a liquor licence.

   Donna J. Graves and Shayne E. Watson, Citywide Historic Context Statement for LGBTQ History in San Francisco, San Francisco Planning Department, adopted by the Historic Preservation Commission November 18, 2015
5. 1950–1965

   The city's survey names the Black Cat at this address among the bars, cafes, bookshops and clubs of the North Beach Beat scene, whose period of significance it sets at about 1950 to 1965.

   North Beach Historic Context Statement, adopted 2022
6. Dec 1987

   Permit 8718067 $$$ $46,000

   Ti @ ground floor into a fast food sandwich shop.

7. Mar 1988

   Permit 8803177 $$$ $7,000

   Install 1 hood duct & roof blower for the restaurant.

8. Jun 1990

   Permit 9011881 $$$ $6,000

   Parapet work.

9. Aug 1998

   Permit 9817048 $$$ $75,000

   Seismic retrofitting on umb.

10. Feb 1999

    Permit 9902577 $$$ $5,000

    Revision to approved application-9817048.

11. Oct 1999

    Permit 9922356 $$$ $30,000

    T/i for the 1st floor-space to be occupied by a cafe.

12. Dec 1999

    Permit 9926405 $$$ $1,475

    Hood & duct fire suppression system.

13. Jan 2000

    Permit 20000114121 $$$ $2,600

    Replace type-1 exhaust hood only, ref. p/a 9922356.

14. Jun 2000

    Permit 200006193076 $$$ $20,000

    Recase columns (2), reopen transom windows, clean/repair glazed brick, repaint cornice, signband.

15. Feb 2004

    Issued Permit 200402045566 $$$ $2,000

    Non structural interior demolition only. accessibility requirements will be forth comming with the.

16. Mar 2004

    Issued Permit 200403088026 $$$ $50,000

    T.i. for fast food restaurant on grnd floor. work includes new partitions, fixtures, finishes, lightin.

17. Apr 2004

    Issued Permit 200404201700 $$$ $1,500

    Revision to app#200403088026. including relocation of existing stair, revision to bar counter. relocation.

18. Jun 2004

    Issued Permit 200406035415 $$$ $1,500

    Install 1 automatic, hood & duct, fire suppression system.

19. Oct 2014

    Issued Permit 201410078345 $$$ $10,000

    Relocate exhaust fan to comply with noise violation 201468514; maher na.

20. Sep 2017

    Permit 201709219216 $$$ $100,000

    No change in use, no envelope change. interior kitchen & dining room remodel, relocate bar, new finishes at existing ada restroom. exterior paint. maher na.

21. Nov 2017

    Permit 201711295042 $$$ $1

    Mechanical & electrical revision to pa 2017-0921-9216.

22. Mar 2018

    Permit 201803153706 $$$ $7,400

    Install ul300 ansul fire system to protect kitchen hood and cooking equipment. 2 cylinders. ref permit application 201709219216.

23. Mar 2018

    Permit 201803204148 $$$ $5,000

    Otc alterations permit.

24. Mar 2018

    Permit 201803274655 $$$ $1

    Revision to 201803153706 as built dwg for ul300 ansul fire system to protect kitchen hood and cooking equip maher na.

DBI holds 30 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 30. 4 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 5 expired or cancelled permits are not shown.