Central Tower

1. 1896

   Built as the 19-storey Spreckels/Call Building at 'newspaper angle', the cluster of early skyscrapers around Market and 3rd streets. Gutted by fire in 1906 and rehabilitated.

   Central SoMa Historic Context Statement, adopted 2016
2. 1898

   Designed by the Reid Brothers in a florid Venetian Renaissance manner.

   Transit Center District Survey, adopted 2012
3. July 10, 1906

   Otis Elevator Company contracted for three elevators, at $35,400.

   The San Francisco Call, 10 July 1906, p. 12
4. March 9, 1907

   W. W. Montague & Co. and Enos Company contracted for cement, mosaic and terrazzo work on the Claus Spreckels building, at $15,351.

   The San Francisco Call, 9 March 1907, p. 13
5. 1908

   Built.

6. January 7, 1908

   Clinton fireproofing company contracted for fireproofing the basement ceiling on the Spreckels building, at $1,500.

   The San Francisco Call, 7 January 1908, p. 13
7. December 10, 1910

   The Architect and Engineer of California featured Reid Brothers (James W. and Merritt J. Reid), designers of the Claus Spreckels or Call Building, which it called the first successful solution of a modern skyscraper.

   The San Francisco Call, 10 December 1910, p. 10
8. 1937

   Refaced in concrete to designs by the architect Albert Roller, the dome removed for a six-story vertical addition and the whole given stripped-down Moderne detail.

   Transit Center District Survey, adopted 2012
9. 1938

   Remodelled by architect Albert Roller as the Streamline Moderne Central Tower, in preparation for the 1939–1940 Golden Gate International Exposition and its 'Shine for '39' campaign. Storeys were added, but removing the dome brought the height down from 315 feet to 298 feet.

   Central SoMa Historic Context Statement, adopted 2016
10. 1938

    The Spreckels Building of 1896 was remodelled in 1938 by the Reid Brothers with Albert F. Roller. It is rated Category III under Article 11 of the Planning Code.

    Modern Architecture and Landscape Design Context Statement, adopted 2011
11. 1984

    Known as the Central Tower; it was among the rated buildings of the city's Downtown Plan inventory.

    San Francisco Department of City Planning, The Downtown Plan: Environmental Impact Report, Draft, 1984.
12. 2008

    Recorded in the city's 2008 survey of the Transit Center District, adopted in 2012, as an individually significant building.

    Transit Center District Survey, adopted 2012
13. Feb 2011

    Permit 201102180522 $$$ $200,000

    1st floor interior tenant improvement ot include demolition of existing interior walls, reconstruction of new interior partiiton walls, 2 ada compliant restrooms & associated plumbing, electrical & signage. mechanical, life safety, sprinkler, alarm under separate permit.

14. Mar 2015

    Withdrawn Permit 201503272021 $$$ $243,000

    13th floor: project consists of new ti including walls, glazing, doors and finishes for the space. new restrooms are to be included, no structural work involved.

15. Jul 2015

    Permit 201507010454 $$$ $242,000

    Project consists of new t.i. to the 21/f including walls, glazing, doors and finishes for entire space. no structural work.

16. Jul 2015

    Permit 201507131254 $$$ $250,000

    12th floor: new t.i. including walls, glazing, doors and finishes for the entire tenant space, as well as new accessible restrooms. no structural work.

17. Jul 2015

    Permit 201507272540 $$$ $254,400

    New t.i. including, walls, glazing, doors, and finishes for the 7th floor as well as new accessible restrooms. demolition work is complete and no structural work.

18. Aug 2015

    Permit 201508043265 $$$ $200,000

    Furnish and install one new steam to hot water heat exchanger. furnish and install new 2 new hot water circulating pumps. furnish and install new heating hot water risers from the basement to the 21st floor with/stub outs on all floors. ref app#201507010454.

19. Aug 2015

    Permit 201508063522 $$$ $254,400

    Tenant improvement including walls, interir glazing, doors and finishes for 17th fl including new accessible restrooms, no structural work. under separate permit demolition permit application 201504305050.

20. Aug 2015

    Permit 201508113875 $$$ $254,400

    New tenant improvements including walls, doors, int glazing and finishes as well new accessible restrooms on the 13th fl. no structural. demolition work previously permitted and completed. mep & fire life safety under separate permit.

21. Sep 2015

    Permit 201509015742 $$$ $254,000

    Ti including walls, glazing, doors and finishes for the entire 11th floor, as well as new accesible restrooms. no structural work and demolition has been already permitted and performed.

22. Sep 2015

    Permit 201509247912 $$$ $254,000

    10th fl tenant improvement including walls, glazing, doors, finishes for the 10th fl. new accessible restrooms. no structural work. demolition under 201506239680.

23. Oct 2015

    Permit 201510220452 $$$ $508,000

    8th & 9th floors: new ti- new walls, int glazing, door & finishes. new restroom will be provided. demolition work under 201506239676 & 201507030619.

24. Nov 2015

    Permit 201511233384 $$$ $500,000

    Project consists of the removal of non-structural decorative exteior stone surround, existing glazing & doors & the install off new stone surround, glazing & doors. the interior lobby is to be refinished including a new guard desk.

25. Jul 2016

    Permit 201607283548 $$$ $508,000

    5th & 6th floor: new tenant improvements including, wall, glazing, doors and finishes for the entire space as well as new accessible restrooms. no structural and demolition has been previously permitted and is complete; separate mep, life safety permit.

26. Aug 2016

    Permit 201608175202 $$$ $254,400

    14th floor: ti including walls, glazing, doors & finishes as wekk as new accessible restrooms. no structural work in involved, demolition complete under permit 201601136961.

27. Aug 2016

    Permit 201608245829 $$$ $508,000

    16 & 19 floor - ti for market ready including new restrooms, walls, glazing, doors. no structural work is uncluded. demolition has been previously permitted. demolition permit for 16th fl: #2016-0503-6434. demolition permit for 19th fl: #2016-0823-5721.

28. Aug 2016

    Permit 201608245825 $$$ $254,400

    15th floor - project consists of ti for market ready including walls, glass, doors and finishes. new accessible restroom are included - no structural work. demolition is completed under #2016-0503-6433. mep & fls under separate permit.

29. Dec 2016

    Permit 201612144886 $$$ $250,000

    3/f: t.i. new partitions, glazing, doors and millwork. mep, l/s & f/s under sep permit.

30. Dec 2016

    Permit 201612144890 $$$ $250,000

    4/f: t.i. new interior partitions, glazing, doors and millwork. mep, l/s & f/s under sep permit.

31. Dec 2016

    Permit 201612144891 $$$ $250,000

    2/f: t.i. new interior partitions, glazing, doors and millwork. mep, l/s & f/s under sep permit.

32. Jul 2017

    Issued Permit 201707273040 $$$ $255,000

    20thfl: project consist of new t.i. including walls, glazing door, s and finishes, and new accessibile restrooms. no structural work. is involced. seperate demolition permit #201707141866. mep/fire life saftey deferred.

33. Dec 2017

    Issued Permit 201712156631 $$$ $900,000

    Title 24 permit, ref 201707273040.

34. Jul 2018

    Permit 201807245455 $$$ $150,000

    1st floor. tenant improvement. new sales floor at rear, new display fixtures, ceiling, plumbing fixtures, mechanical ductwork to diffusers, interior partitions, floor finishes, outlets, relocate electrical panels.

35. Nov 2021

    Permit 202111011582 $$$ $91,394

    1st fl - t-mobile interior ti include new non-structural partitions/doors, sales area fixtures. back of house furniture, ceiling, lighting.

DBI holds 161 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 161. 15 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 2 expired or cancelled permits are not shown. The 2008 survey of this district dates the building to 1898; the assessor dates the building on this parcel to 1908. The report gives this building's date as 1896 in one passage and 1898 in another, and its post-earthquake rebuilding as 1907 in the narrative and 1908 in the inventory table.