501–509 O'Farrell Street

1. 1913

   Built as the Hotel Garland, stores and mid-priced hotel with 85 rooms and 73 baths, to the design of the architects Hladik and Thayer. Six storeys over a basement, reinforced concrete structure, three-part vertical composition, Renaissance/Baroque ornamentation.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
2. October 1971

   The Garland hotel at 505 O'Farrell Street was operating as a residential hotel, its 80 units showing 2 vacancies.

   URS Research Company / Arthur D. Little, Inc., Yerba Buena Center Public Facilities and Private Development: Environmental Impact Report (draft), prepared for the City and County of San Francisco, 1973.
3. Jan 1986

   Permit 8601192 $$$ $16,000

   Revised ground floor, replace panel, tile work at entrance.

4. Nov 2000

   Permit 200011276554 $$$ $30,000

   Replace non-conforming flue due to fire damage, install flue for charcoal cookers, type i flue, airfan.

5. Apr 2002

   Issued Permit 200204265142 $$$ $20,000

   Gypboard installation at upper walls & ceiling, add fluorescent lighting to comm'l space, hndicp toil.

6. Jul 2002

   Permit 200207151478 $$$ $14,000

   Closeoff & fill 4 recesses under sidewalk (2 o'farrell * 2 on jones st). reframe & structure service.

7. Oct 2002

   Issued Permit M21904 $$$ $14,000

   Street space.

8. Mar 2003

   Issued Permit 200303280945 $$$ $43,200

   Install fire sprinkler system to comply with ordinance #170-02.

9. Mar 2008

   Permit 200803207663 $$$ $8,000

   Install split system cooling fancoil for elevator machine room cooling.

10. Dec 2008

    Issued Permit 200812108230 $$$ $70,000

    5th fl only. no structural work, add bar sink & counter to ea unit. rehabilitate all bthrooms, add new central water heater, add fire rated doors & stairs & private side corridor. add dropped ceilng in corridors. new update to existing sprinkler system under separate permit.nov 200872415, & 200876097/bid.

11. Mar 2012

    Permit 201203055335 $$$ $25,000

    Comply with nov# 201291853-remodel existing bar @ grd fl to include lowering portion of main bartop height to +34" max above fl for disabled access upgrade, modify electrical as req for lower bartop, repair rotted fl @ main bar. repairs as needed to plumbing at main bar, remove/replace hanging upper cabinets.

12. Jun 2013

    Permit 201306129350 $$$ $13,850

    Create community kitchen and dining area; removing a non bearing wall.

13. Jul 2018

    Issued Permit 201807063953 $$$ $42,000

    G/f: addition of ada bathroom & adjust entry doorway to be ada compliant in existing restaurant. maher n/a.

14. Nov 2020

    Issued Permit 202011048138 $$$ $200,000

    Remodel 80 rooms: paint, plank flooring, patch. install new faucets, sink. update elctrical work. new electrical in all rooms, install sub-panel each floor.

15. Sep 2024

    Permit 202409160853 $$$ $21,200

    Unti's 415 and 615: (2) bath remodel: replace 2 shower pans, install new toilet, install (2) new sinks and retile walls and floor in the rooms. no structural work.

16. Dec 2024

    Filed Permit 202412036051 $$$ $40,000

    Two units: remodel 2 bathrooms in kind in the rooms. ne wshower pan, new sink, new toilet.

17. Jun 2025

    Issued Permit 202506058049 $$$ $10,000

    Exterior - repair in kind the following: patch or repaint & reseal spalling, cracked concrete, coating dunnage beams & vert. ducts. secure loose sheet metal flashing. replace in kind missing & cracked tile, repair and patch windowsills. patch & recoat open joints. seal & repaint cornice metal edge.

DBI holds 47 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 47. 3 of them are nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits. 9 expired permits are not shown.