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Know This Place

District 3 · Block 0548, Lot 022 · ZIP 94109

The Alhambra

2330 Polk Street · Russian Hill

  • 1 story
  • 17,888 ft2
  • 14,684 ft2 lot area
  • 3 residential units
  • 4 rooms
  • 6 bathrooms
  • Zoned POLK
  • Historic resource
  • City landmark #217
Land$4,647,405
Improvements$2,449,306
Total assessed$7,096,711
Photo of The Alhambra
Photo by DanielMichaelPerry, cropped, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
  1. 1926

    The Alhambra, designed by Alexander Aimwell Cantin. In collaboration with Miller & Pflueger.

    Architecture, Planning & Preservation Professionals: A Collection of Biographies, adopted 2021
  2. 1926

    Built for the Lebanese-born Nasser family — who had opened one of the city's first nickelodeons at 18th and Collingwood in 1908 and later built the Castro Theatre — as a Moorish Revival movie palace named for the palace of Granada, with twin corner towers, a proscenium arch hung with masks and plaster tassels, gilded arches with giant urns, and illuminated plaster peacock tails over the lobby doors. The designation report credits Timothy L. Pflueger of Miller & Pflueger.

    SF Planning, landmark designation
  3. 1974

    The Blumenfeld family, in the San Francisco movie business for seventy years, leased the Alhambra from the Nassers; they later split it into twin cinemas and then undid the twinning and restored it.

    SF Planning, landmark designation
  4. May 1987
    Permit 8705900 $$$ $600

    Remove loose stucco /re-stucco areas to stop loose stairs.

  5. Jan 1988
    Permit 8800334 $$$ $25,000

    Remove exist wall between 2 theaters, add 1 handicap toielt.

  6. Dec 1991
    Permit 9123096 $$$ $2,000

    Parapet reinforcing.

  7. 1996

    Designated San Francisco Landmark No. 217, Alhambra Theatre.

    SF Planning, landmark designation
  8. Jul 1996
    Permit 9613615 $$$ $6,450

    Replace front drs./ with accessibles drs.

  9. May 2000
    Permit 200005049073 $$$ $800,000

    Tenant improvement/converting theatre to health spa.

  10. Mar 2001
    Permit 200103265215 $$$ $30,000

    Installation of fire alarm system throughout construction app#200005049073.

  11. Jun 2001
    Permit 200106060838 $$$ $1,500

    Revision to 2000/05/04/9073.

  12. Jul 2001
    Permit 200107123481 $$$ $1

    Change electrical 3 phase to single phase per pg&e revision to 2000/05/04/9073.

  13. Sep 2001
    Permit 200109259122 $$$ $6,000

    Rev. to appl#200005049073 add projector shelf & 2hr. shaft wall in ceiling area, move screen, ada ra.

  14. Nov 2001
    Permit 200111294184 $$$ $25,000

    Add juice bar facility to an existinghealth club, new counter & sinks, ref/freezer- (20000504907).

  15. Nov 2001
    Filed Permit 200111294176 $$$ $25,000

    Add juice bar facility to an existinghealth club, new counter & sinks.

  16. Mar 2002
    Permit 200203080896 $$$ $12,000

    As builts for fire line piping for standpipe. ref app 200005049073 to fix corrosion problem.

  17. Mar 2024
    Issued Permit 202403067221 $$$ $50,000

    Less than 50% repair of exterior stair (side of building).

  18. Jun 2024
    Permit 202406104080 $$$ $53,000

    Voluntary like for like replacement of the existing fire alarm system panel and associated components due to current age of existing system.

8 nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits are omitted from the timeline. 2 expired permits are not shown. The designation report credits the Alhambra to Timothy L. Pflueger of Miller & Pflueger; the architects' biographies context statement credits Alexander Aimwell Cantin, in collaboration with Miller & Pflueger.

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