565 Commercial Street

1. 1908

   The smaller Sacramento Street component behind the substation was built to a design from Pacific Gas and Electric's own engineering department, before the company adopted a house architectural style for its buildings.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
2. 1914

   PG&E Substation J, designed by architect Frederick H. Meyer.

   Architecture, Planning & Preservation Professionals: A Collection of Biographies, adopted 2021
3. July 9, 1957

   The Office of the Assessor-Recorder photographed the property for tax assessment.

   Assessor-Recorder Photographs (SFP 23), San Francisco Public Library
4. June 13, 1962

   The Office of the Assessor-Recorder photographed the property for tax assessment.

   Assessor-Recorder Photographs (SFP 23), San Francisco Public Library
5. 1969-1970

   A major remodelling was carried out under six permits totalling $246,000.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
6. before 1981

   An early conversion of an industrial building to entertainment, the substation housed the nightclubs Station J and the Whisky a Go Go before becoming a restaurant.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
7. 1981

   Designated San Francisco Landmark No. 142, PG&E Old Station J.

   SF Planning, landmark designation
8. May 1982

   Permit 8203472 $$$ $10,000

   Additions alterations or repairs.

9. Jun 1983

   Permit 8305809 $$$ $42,000

   Heating and air conditioning units.

10. Oct 1983

    Permit 8309849 $$$ $25,000

    Alteration to orig building permit relocate lightwell.

11. Apr 1984

    Permit 8404351 $$$ $100,000

    Convert space to restaurant.

12. 1985

    Built.

13. Aug 1992

    Permit 9213286 $$$ $1,450

    Sign.

14. Oct 2002

    Issued Permit 200210118799 $$$ $16,970

    Reroofing.

15. Jan 2009

    Issued Permit 200901160393 $$$ $3,000

    Interior demolition only of existing restaurant per ab017-deferring accessibility requirements.

16. Feb 2009

    Permit 200902051477 $$$ $125,878

    Interior renovtion of 1337 sq ft restaurant for reuse of restaurant. existing kitchen to remain. existing restrooms to remain with minor work to meet ada. new awning to be added above door.

17. Apr 2009

    Permit 200904206596 $$$ $65,000

    Tenant improvement-relocate 9 fire sprinkler heads.

18. May 2009

    Issued Permit 200905279162 $$$ $4,000

    1st floor-ul300 upgrade of the pyro chem fire suppression system in the kitchen area on the ground floor. 11 flows.

19. Sep 2015

    Permit 201509288192 $$$ $49,000

    Replacement of e bartop and addition of ada bar counter. addition on new dining room and back of house space. mep, back of bar under separate permit. no work on e kitchen. fire sprinkler/alarm sep permit if necessary.

20. Oct 2015

    Permit 201510190069 $$$ $40,000

    Installation and relocation of back of bar service equipment, no work on existing kitchen. accessibility upgrades in ref pa 2015 0928 8192. fire protection alarm under sep permit. maher na.

21. Dec 2015

    Permit 201512155200 $$$ $5,000

    Relocate 6 existing sprinklers and change to concealed sprinkler, change 6 painted sprinkler. t.i. permit application 201509288192. n/a ordinance #155-13.

22. Feb 2016

    Permit 201602179767 $$$ $5,000

    1 relocate & change to concealed type sprinklers, 4 head to existing sprinkler system. t.i. permit application 201509288192. n/a ordinance #155-13.

23. Feb 2019

    Permit 201902132782 $$$ $253,018

    2nd floor. demolition of non-structural walls, constructin of new tenant suite incl non-structural walls, plumbing, ceiling and lighting systems. mechanical, electrical, plumb, life-safety and sprinklers to be design-build under separate permits. maher n/a.

24. Mar 2019

    Permit 201903185508 $$$ $3,000

    2nd floor. modification of existing fire sprinkler system per tenant improvement. ref permit application 201902132782. relocate 5 sprinkler heads.

25. May 2019

    Permit 201905291865 $$$ $502,250

    3/f & 4/f: non structural demolition - new non structural partitions, lighting, finishes & toilet rooms; no change in occupancy, use or area. mep, life safety & sprinklers under separate permit.

26. Jul 2019

    Permit 201907226465 $$$ $3,000

    3rd & 4th fl: modification of existing fire sprinkler system per ti at 3rd and 4th floor. relocate 5 add 1 sprinkler head (ref: 201905291865).

27. September 23, 2026

    The chef behind shuttered Transamerica Pyramid restaurants is making a comeback in S.F. — San Francisco Chronicle

DBI holds 29 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 29. 2 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 6 expired or cancelled permits are not shown. The assessor's roll gives 1985; this address is recorded as built 1914. The assessor dates the building to 1985, after these photographs were taken. A design of 1914 is recorded at this address; the assessor dates the building standing on the parcel to 1985.