Palace Hotel, Garden Courtyard

1. October 5, 1875

   The Palace Hotel opened here to designs by the New York architect John P. Gaynor, the largest and best-appointed hotel in the country at the time.

   Transit Center District Survey, adopted 2012
2. December 25, 1907

   Winslow Bros. Company and Otis Elevator Company contracted for ornamental iron and elevator work on the Palace Hotel for the Palace Hotel Company, at $144,280.

   The San Francisco Call, 25 December 1907, p. 13
3. April 16, 1908

   Clinton fireproofing company contracted for fireproofing, metal furring and lathing on the Palace Hotel for the Palace hotel company, at $153,200.

   The San Francisco Call, 16 April 1908, p. 15
4. 1909

   The shell of the 1875 hotel was pulled down after the earthquake and a new hotel built in its place to designs by the New York firm Trowbridge & Livingston.

   Transit Center District Survey, adopted 2012
5. 1909

   George W. Kelham, sent west after the 1906 earthquake by the New York firm Trowbridge & Livingston, worked on the design of the rebuilt Palace Hotel through its completion.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
6. January 1, 1909

   George Goodman artificial stone company contracted for artificial stone on a hotel for the Palace Hotel company.

   The San Francisco Call, 1 January 1909, p. 23
7. November 8, 1913

   The Transportation Club contracted with Wagner Bros. for alterations and additions to the southeast part of the hotel, at the corner of New Montgomery and Jessie, $7,930. Site as recorded: The Palace Hotel building, northwest corner of Montgomery and Jessie streets.

   The San Francisco Call, 8 November 1913, p. 22
8. 1950

   The Garden Court — the former Palm Court, descended from the carriage court of the 1875 hotel and designed by George Kelham, the rebuilt hotel's supervising architect — was renovated by Francis Joseph McCarthy.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
9. October 1967

   James A. Martin photographed the property.

   James A. Martin Color Slides of San Francisco (SFP 169), San Francisco Public Library
10. September 12, 1968

    The Sheraton Palace Hotel was operated by the Sheraton Corporation on a 99-year ground lease from the Equitable Life Insurance Company, which owned the land; its Garden Court was in use as a dining room. Over the hotel's objection and on a 3 to 2 vote, the City Planning Commission approved designating the Garden Court of the Palace Hotel a city landmark.

    San Francisco City Planning Commission minutes, San Francisco Public Library (Internet Archive)
11. 1969

    Designated San Francisco Landmark No. 18, Palace Hotel Garden Court.

    SF Planning, landmark designation
12. Dec 1981

    Permit 8110404 $$$ $1,000

    Sign - erect.

13. 1985

    The landmark designation, first confined to the Garden Court, was extended to the whole hotel on its lot, except the 1938 addition at the southwest corner.

    SF Planning, landmark designation
14. Nov 1988

    Permit 8817176S $$$ $50,000,000

    Restoration and remodel work thru hotel incl. garden ct.

15. Jan 1990

    Permit 9001571 $$$ $1,000,000

    E.w.o. (s).

16. Mar 1990

    Permit 9004294 $$$ $1,300,000

    Fire protection, sprinklers.

17. May 1990

    Permit 9008740 $$$ $1,750,000

    Repair or replace seismic damage, new shear wall, add boiler.

18. Aug 1990

    Permit 9017427 $$$ $500,000

    New partitions, restaurant, kitchen toilet rms mechical/electrical.

19. Sep 1999

    Permit 9920442 $$$ $481,000

    Installation of a tractel/swingstage exterior building.

20. 2008

    Recorded in the city's 2008 survey of the Transit Center District, adopted in 2012, as a contributor to the proposed New Montgomery, Mission & Second Historic District.

    Transit Center District Survey, adopted 2012
21. Nov 2010

    Permit 201011225443 $$$ $195,000

    A newunmanned telecommunication facility consisting of (8)new rds cabinets, (6)new rrun's, (12)new rruw's (6)new rrh's, and (12)new at&t antennas painted to match existing penthouse.

22. May 2012

    Permit 201205100263 $$$ $432,000

    Non structural interior renovation of existing retail space. new lighting, plumbing, mechanical, ductwork, partitons, flooring, ceiling, millwork, soda foundation equipment.

23. Jun 2012

    Issued Permit 201206061997 $$$ $195,000

    A new unmanned telecom facility consisting of adding new rba-72 cabinet, bbu, new main panel, transformer, sub panel (2) new purcells, (5) new pbc-02, (14) new rrus. (2) new surge protector (2) 3578 cabinets, (8) new antennas, painte to match. revision to permit application 201011225443.

24. Jul 2013

    Permit 201307242653 $$$ $140,000

    Voluntary head end upgrade. see approv pre appl ltr on pg fa0.01. upgrade existing85/40 fms/fas sys to metasys bms&ifc 3030 facp.voluntary replace fire alarm control panel with bms per sffd ab# 3.04.special insp req as per plans.

25. Dec 2013

    Permit 201312234897 $$$ $10,000,000

    No exterior work. renovation of 555 guestrms on floors 2-8 of the palace hotel. typical guestrm to receive new finishes, faucets and sinks. accessible upgrades to include path of travel, accessible and hearing impared dispension. new carpet and paint in corridors (compliance with maher ordinance.

26. Dec 2013

    Permit 201312315351 $$$ $50,000

    Barrier removal, new compliant lift and ramp at entrance. maher n/a.

27. Jan 2014

    Permit 201401287270 $$$ $500,000

    T.i. for new restaurant, new kitchen, adding 2 new restrooms, partitions stair case, electrical, plumbing & mechanical. sprinkler & fire alarm under separate permits. no change to exterior. compliance with ord #155-13 not required.

28. Oct 2014

    Permit 201410027971 $$$ $225,000

    Interior non structural renovatations of hotel fitness center on 4th fl only. scope also includes voluntary accessibility upgrade to existing menes and womens restrooms maher not req.

29. Nov 2014

    Permit 201411242374 $$$ $20,000

    New tiles on pool deck and inside pool and spa; demolition tile file and approved under permit application 201410279985. compliance with maher ordinance no. 155-13 not required.

30. Dec 2014

    Permit 201412264511 $$$ $188,450

    Fire alarm ada room retrofit add 46 addressable smokes with low frequency bases, 17 speakers, 91 strobes, 44 sync mods, 7 power supplies, 25 monitor modules, 25 relays, 15 eol spervision relays. maher ord-ext #155-13 not req'd.

31. Apr 2015

    Permit 201504304994 $$$ $512,000

    Ti and change of use for new wine store on gr floor and basement. work includes new partitions, fixtures, millwork. no change to exterior. mep and fire protection under separate permit maher not req.

32. Oct 2015

    Permit 201510149660 $$$ $75,000

    Basement/ground fl. mep associated with interior ti 2015-0430-4994. life safety deferred.

33. Sep 2017

    Permit 201709269601 $$$ $900,000

    Remove 3 existing chillers, replace with 2 new chillers, remove 3 exiting chw pumps, replace with 2 new chw pumps, remove e existing cw pumps and replace with 2 new cw pumps, remove 1 existing cooling tower and replace with 1 new cooling tower, add 1 heat exchanger.

34. Sep 2017

    Issued Permit 201709269609 $$$ $160,000

    Verizon wireless to install new unmanned telecommunication facility at the palace hotel. the base station equipment will be in the basement. install 12 antennas, 28 rrus and 16 raycap surge supressors behind 3 frp screens.

35. Oct 2023

    Issued Permit 202310128549 $$$ $153,377

    Upgrade illumination from neon to rgb led for 2 existing roof top signs "the palace". single faced, roof signs.

36. Nov 2024

    Issued Permit 202411205356 $$$ $6,500,000

    Facade rehabilitation program comprising brick work repair/repointing, terracotta repair, facade cleaning, window replacement.

37. Mar 2026

    Issued Permit 202603036843 $$$ $727,619

    Rooftop 9th/f: replace 5 rooftop air handlers with new air handlers with similar capacities for heating, cooling & electrical, ahus are of similar weights.

38. Jul 2026

    Issued Permit 202607175196 $$$ $1,200,000

    Roof top replace 6 air handlers located on mezzanine fl with new air handler of similar weights, electrical scope will be disconnection & reconnection of wrting for each air handler.

DBI holds 146 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 146. 11 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits.