201–265 Montgomery Street

1. October 21, 1926

   Photographed, showing the Russ Building.

   San Francisco Subjects Photograph Collection (SFP 162), San Francisco Public Library
2. 1927

   Built.

3. 1927

   The Russ Building, designed by architect George Kelham.

   Architecture, Planning & Preservation Professionals: A Collection of Biographies, adopted 2021
4. 1927

   Its lifts were supplied by the Otis Elevator Company and assembled at the company's plant at 1 Beach Street, where the local manager reported the sixteen in three banks — one for the lower floors and two of express cars above — as the largest office-building installation on the Pacific Coast.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
5. May 3, 1934

   Photographed, showing the Russ Building.

   San Francisco Subjects Photograph Collection (SFP 162), San Francisco Public Library
6. July 1973

   Photographed, showing the Russ Building.

   Rick Jasany Papers (GLC 118), San Francisco Public Library
7. 1979

   The Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage rated the Russ Building "A" in the 1979 downtown survey it published as Splendid Survivors — the top of its four grades, which it reserved for the buildings it judged individually most important downtown. The Department of City Planning's 1976 Architectural Inventory coded it 4-D5-4.

   333 Bush Street draft initial study, SF Dept. of City Planning, 1981
8. 1980s

   The Russ Building, where the Golden Gate Business Association - known as the first LGBTQ chamber of commerce, founded in 1974 - had its offices by the early 1980s; it had 500 members by 1980.

   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
9. Aug 1981

   Permit 8107333 $$$ $704,000

   Additions alterations or repairs.

10. Feb 1983

    Permit 8301171 $$$ $2,900,000

    Misc.

11. Jan 1984

    Permit 8400404 $$$ $1,200,000

    Tenant improvements to 12th floor.

12. Dec 1984

    Permit 8413411 $$$ $1,200,000

    Tenant improvement to the 15th floor. work includes.

13. Feb 1988

    Permit 8802129 $$$ $1,200,000

    Interior improvements, install mechanical system, fire sprklr.

14. Feb 1989

    Permit 8902336 $$$ $1,000,000

    Tenant improvements, h/c toilets, install extensive shelves.

15. Jun 1994

    Permit 9410127 $$$ $475,000

    Cti-1 21st floor el me sp.

16. Mar 2000

    Permit 200003093921 $$$ $700,000

    Oti-1 el, me, l/s, sp 5th floor.

17. Apr 2000

    Permit 200004046336 $$$ $723,814

    Oti-2 16th floor el & me.

18. Apr 2000

    Permit 200004046331 $$$ $521,553

    Oti-2 15th floor el, me.

19. Apr 2000

    Permit 200004127047 $$$ $458,984

    Oti-2 el me sl 5th floor.

20. Aug 2005

    Permit 200508311680 $$$ $850,000

    Oti-1, 17th floor, el, me, ls, sp.

21. Aug 2006

    Permit 200608099027 $$$ $1,500,000

    Oti-1 5th floor el, me, l/s, sp.

22. Dec 2008

    Permit 200812057917 $$$ $1,236,000

    Partial floor ti for new tenant space for demolition and new construction of doors/parttion/finishes. mechanical, el, l/s, sp to be submitted seperating this project is applying for leed platinum certification.

23. Dec 2009

    Permit 200912102998 $$$ $870,000

    13th floor - partial floor t.i. to construct doors, partitions, non-load bearing walls & finishes. mechanical /el/plumb/l.s. not included to be issued for separate permit.

24. Aug 2013

    Permit 201308013296 $$$ $350,000

    12th floor-t.i office remodel-open office space-new conference room, staff kitchenette & plotter layout room. t.i include construction of new walls, ceilings, doors, finshes, plumbing, venting, lighting, custom millwork, casework.

25. Jun 2015

    Permit 201506098534 $$$ $533,000

    Ground floor tenant improvement - non-structural partition walls, mechanical hvac, plumbing, electrical, new finishes, acoustical ceiling system. no exterior work. n/a maher ordinance- sprinklers, fsds and fire alarm separate permits.

26. Oct 2018

    Permit 201810153180 $$$ $300,000

    T.i. new non structural partitions, offices, break area, millwork, light fixtures, finishes. mep & fire life safety under separate permit.

27. Jun 2019

    Permit 201906173556 $$$ $1,500,000

    Suite 350. tenant improvement. new non-structural partitions, offices, break area, light fixtures and finishes. mep, fire, life safety and sprinklers under separate permit.

28. Mar 2022

    Permit 202203039148 $$$ $814,000

    450: interior t.i.: new non-structural partitions, offices, break area, light fixtures and finishes. mep, fire, life safety, and sprinkler under seperate permit.

29. Nov 2022

    Permit 202211166636 $$$ $300,000

    10th fl, ste 1050 - interior tenant improvement to include new non-structural non-load bearing partitions, offices, break area, millwork, light fixtures and finishes.

30. Nov 2024

    Permit 202411265757 $$$ $500,000

    22nd floor interior t.i. ti of elevator lobby, stair vestibules, restrooms, and exit passageway on 22nd floor. demolition of non-strucutural partitions. new partitions finishes, fixtures and lighting. mep, fire life safety and sprinkler under separate permit.

31. May 2025

    Permit 202505055769 $$$ $620,000

    16th fl tenant improvement including stair infill.

DBI holds 961 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 961. 50 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 1 expired permit is not shown. The assessor dates the building to 1927, after this photograph was taken.