Metropolitan Life Building

1. 1908

   Built.

2. July 2, 1908

   George A. Fuller company and Raymond granite company contracted for granite work on the Metropolitan Life Insurance building for the Metropolitan Life Insurance company, at $2,500.

   The San Francisco Call, 2 July 1908, p. 15
3. 1909

   The first part of the building went up: a small classical temple in the Ionic order with a great interior space, by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons of New York, for the Pacific Coast Head Office of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company — whose territory ran from California to Montana — founded by the company's vice-president, later president, Haley Fiske. It is an early work of the City Beautiful in the rebuilding after 1906.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
4. January 15, 1909

   Watson roof company contracted for roofing on a building for the Metropolitan Life Insurance company, at $1,200.

   The San Francisco Call, 15 January 1909, p. 13
5. 1914

   Two symmetrical wings, each about 28 feet wide, were added, probably also by LeBrun & Sons.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
6. 1920–1922

   Miller & Colmesnil filled out the Stockton Street blockfront and added the central Ionic portico, whose pediment carries a heroically scaled sculpture group by Haig Patigian.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
7. 1930

   The Pine Street wing was added, designed by Miller & Pflueger.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
8. 1954

   The California Street wing and the garden court were added, by Thomsen & Wilson, with the landscape architect Thomas Church.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
9. 1974

   Cogswell College, the technical college founded by the dentist H. D. Cogswell in 1887, bought the building, renamed it Swig Hall and made it its campus.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
10. 1976

    Cogswell College, one of two sites to which the 1976 Conference on Violence Against Women was moved at short notice; 1,300 people attended.

    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
11. February 19, 1976

    Cogswell College, which had moved from the Mission about two years earlier, occupied less than half of the building and rented most of it to commercial tenants.

    San Francisco City Planning Commission minutes, San Francisco Public Library (Internet Archive)
12. 1982

    As Cogswell College, the building was rated '4' in the city planning department's 1976 architectural survey and 'A' — the top grade — on the Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage final evaluated list of December 1, 1982.

    San Francisco Department of City Planning, California-Powell Condominiums Environmental Impact Report: Draft, 1985.
13. 1984

    Designated San Francisco Landmark No. 167, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Pacific Coast Head Office.

    SF Planning, landmark designation
14. Sep 1984

    Permit 8410225S $$$ $40,000,000

    Alteration of existing building into 350 room hotel.

15. Nov 1988

    Permit 8816810 $$$ $200,000

    Demolish & remove all interior improvements.

16. Mar 1991

    Permit 9103311 $$$ $85,000

    Rev to 8410225s relocate partition, ti work.

17. Jun 2005

    Permit 200506286280 $$$ $175,000

    Modify existing chilled water plant to expand with addition of pure comfort cogeneration system.

18. Sep 2005

    Issued Permit 200509233752 $$$ $400,000

    Conver guestrms to ada compliant guestrms, hearing impaired, add doors, all inerior.

19. Feb 2006

    Issued Permit 200602245359 $$$ $27,000

    Floor 2 to 8 - upgrade handicap rooms (20) for mobility and ada visual.

20. Mar 2006

    Issued Permit 200603247477 $$$ $80,000

    Tenant imporvement, re-configure doors & windows to office, new ceiling tile & ligh fixture, new paint, carpet, mirror & moulding.

21. Mar 2011

    Permit 201103162190 $$$ $315,000

    Level #1-structural infill of existing pool & whirlpool in order to create an "exercise room" (assembly) occupant load verif. new flooring, paint, mirrors, lighting & power for cardio equipment. all existing partitions & ceiling and decorative trims to remain. field verify exit signage and emergency lighting.

22. Jun 2011

    Permit 201106017137 $$$ $1,000,026

    Restaurant dining room. remodel existing bar and dining room and constructon of new bar and dining room. no kitchen work.

23. Jun 2011

    Permit 201106137936 $$$ $488,000

    Lobby lounge renovation- demolition existing bar and pantry millwork and build new bar and pantry cabinets. no exterior work.

24. Sep 2011

    Permit 201109225271 $$$ $27,500

    Fire sprinklers only on the 1st floor. relocate 50 heads, add 5 heads, plug/remove 4 heads.

25. Apr 2015

    Permit 201504103408 $$$ $35,000

    Lobby level - demolition existing millwork. install new millwork. repair drywall, install new carpet, remove existing barriers and replace with ada doors maher -not req'd.

26. Dec 2015

    Permit 201512074312 $$$ $590,000

    Voluntary replacement of fire alarm sys & supplental notificaiton upgrad. "like to like fire alarm sys replacement per csfm information bulletin date 9/4/08". "there is no record plan or ul cert for the existing fire alarm systm".

27. Dec 2015

    Permit 201512225751 $$$ $300,000

    Interior renovation of an existing retail shop within ritz carlton including mechancial & electrical. n/a maher ordinance.

28. Jul 2017

    Issued Permit 201707071216 $$$ $140,000

    Replace existing cold rooms with same foot print using prefab factor manufactured modular equipment. mechanical is pre charged systems top mount not to exceed 400 lbs. per cut. 4 boxes @ 592 sq ft. n/a for maher.

29. Sep 2017

    Issued Permit 201709087346 $$$ $57,000

    Level 1 -3 massage rooms in existing space. 4 mini pedicure area.

30. Aug 2018

    Issued Permit 201808308817 $$$ $1,100,000

    Renovation of existing 17, 000 sq ft. courtyard. construction of new 3, 093 sq ft pavilion. **maher n/a**.

31. Aug 2018

    Withdrawn Permit 201808308726 $$$ $95,000

    T.i. to exisiting restaurant new finishes.

32. Nov 2023

    Withdrawn Permit 202311211217 $$$ $900,000

    Minor interior remodel of existing restaurant (3528 sq ft) and lobby lounge (1757 sq ft) including hvac, plumbing, electrical.

33. Apr 2026

    Issued Permit 202604028752 $$$ $470,000

    Minor interior remodel of existing lobby lounge/bar (1227 sq ft) on 4th floor (entry level). includes plumbing and electrical. no exterior work.

34. Jun 2026

    Issued Permit 202606183514 $$$ $145,000

    Minor interior remodel of existing retail shop. inlcudes plumbing, hvac, and electrical. no exterior work.

DBI holds 86 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 86. 21 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 3 expired or cancelled permits are not shown. The 1985 draft environmental report that noted these ratings files the address under Assessor's Block 256; the parcel is on Block 257.