Medical-Dental Building

1. 1864

   Temple Emanu-El, the synagogue of the wealthier of San Francisco's two original Jewish congregations, was built on this half-acre site and was counted among the most beautiful buildings in the city. The 1906 earthquake brought it down, and the land stood empty through most of the 1920s.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
2. 1929

   Its lifts were supplied by the Otis Elevator Company and assembled at the company's plant at 1 Beach Street.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
3. October 15, 1929

   Opened after less than eighteen months' building: a 26-storey steel-framed tower in terra cotta, built exclusively for doctors and dentists and designed by Timothy Pflueger of Miller & Pflueger, with Mayan hieroglyphic ornament on its V-shaped window bays, entrance and marble lobby, and a 450-car split-level garage behind. Lindgren & Swinerton were the general contractors; its 2,500 windows were the largest plate-glass installation in the West, and the whole cost $5 million. At capacity it held 286 doctors and 200 dentists, about a fifth of the city's.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
4. 1930s

   An Art Deco office building designed by Timothy Pflueger; the endocrinologist Harry Benjamin, who popularised the term transsexual and argued for medical support rather than psychiatric cures, kept a medical office here during summers from the 1930s to the 1970s. Identified as potentially eligible for landmark designation.

   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. 1953

   Sold to a Chicago investor for $6.5 million, then the largest single real estate transaction in the city's history.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
6. July 17, 1969

   The 450 Sutter Medical Building stood beside the site at the northeast corner of Powell and Sutter Streets.

   San Francisco City Planning Commission minutes, San Francisco Public Library (Internet Archive)
7. October 1971

   Photographed, showing the International Building.

   San Francisco Subjects Photograph Collection (SFP 162), San Francisco Public Library
8. Nov 1981

   Permit 8109713 $$$ $30,000

   Additions alterations or repairs.

9. Dec 1995

   Permit 9521671 $$$ $314,000

   Alter toilet rm floors 3, 13, 24, 25, & 26.

10. Oct 2002

    Permit 200210290168 $$$ $300,000

    New construction of priviate offices reception areas and copy coffee rooms on the 6th floor.

11. Jul 2003

    Permit 200307119311 $$$ $350,000

    Tenant improvement to 5th floor/soft demolition and new partition /add 2 new surgery light fixtures.

12. Jul 2003

    Permit 200307250396 $$$ $61,000

    Remodel ground floor space.hvac paint &carpet, install new atm, replace entry door to comply with ada.

13. Jun 2004

    Permit 200406156436 $$$ $565,000

    Oti-1 22nd/fl -el, ls, me.

14. Dec 2008

    Permit 200812198878 $$$ $700,000

    Renew permit application 2006/05/16/1766 to complete & obtain final inspection.

15. December 22, 2009

    Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a masterwork of Timothy Pflueger's Art Deco, and a medical office building that has served that use since it opened.

    National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
16. Jun 2012

    Permit 201206051830 $$$ $300,000

    Ti to create an outpatient surgery clinic. demolition of remaining mechanical and plumb. new partitions, mep, med gas distribution. nurse call sys, 2 surgery lite fixtures & 4 new handicapped access baths, waiting area, reception, offices, new 2 stop holeless hydraulic elev to comply with asme a17.1 elev code.

17. Mar 2014

    Permit 201403140783 $$$ $1,300,000

    #300- administrative permit for payment of additional fees based on actual cost of job under permit application 201206051830. actual cost = $1, 600, 000.00 & fees paid on $300, 000, fees due now $1, 300, 000.

18. Jun 2014

    Permit 201406208946 $$$ $280,000

    Suite #1314: new interior demising walls and nw finishes in existing tenant suite & expansion into adjacent suites on the 13th floor. electrical, plmg, lighting and lifesafty work performed on a design build basis as required and submitted as a separate permit. no exterior work. n/a for the maher/155-13.

19. Sep 2018

    Issued Permit 201809261523 $$$ $280,000

    Ste 2414 - a tenant improvement for a dental clinic. new non-load bearing walls and ceiling. partitions for offices, lab, staff & storage rooms, a new split hvac system with distribution, new sinks for treatment areas to be plumbed and electrical systems & lighting.

20. Mar 2021

    Issued Permit 202103176775 $$$ $700,000

    6th fl: new non-bearing partitions, gypboard & suspended ceiling, casework, fixture & finishes. new accessible restroom. new procedure room & associated service rooms. new fire rated common corridor connecting teannt space to egress stair with new finishes & light fixtures. no exterior work.

21. May 2022

    Permit 202205194637 $$$ $571,360

    26/f provide new operating room, private pre-op/recovery room, pre-op/recovery area, soiled holding room and medgas room on the 26th floor.

22. May 2026

    Issued Permit 202605070888 $$$ $300,000

    Interior workl 24th fl, ste 2428 interior ti to a vacant dental office space. new partitions, millwork, interior finishes, lighting, dental equipment and plumbing fixtures. mep and fire protection work performed on a design build basis as required and submitted as separate permit. no exterior work.

DBI holds 429 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 429. 12 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 11 expired or cancelled permits are not shown.