In the almost 70 years that he’s lived in San Francisco, Richard S. E. Johns says that one thing has remained the same about the city. “What attracts people here is that it is vibrant,” says Johns, who serves as a historian on the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. “This is where people come to fulfill themselves.” Inevitably, with vibrancy comes change, and Johns doesn’t think that that’s necessarily a bad thing. “If you tried to stop [it], we’d become like Venice: a museum piece that is slowly sinking. That’s the real challenge – to balance the past with the future.”
For many, that balance feels woefully skewed lately. The city’s economic and development booms are threatening the viability of music venues essential to the city’s DNA as buildings that once housed shows become upscale restaurants and condos. Now it looks like the Elbo Room is the next music club with an uncertain future. Just who can lay claim to that future is up for debate.
The Elbo Room was “a home for many people,” according to owner Matt Shapiro. Paul Costuros, who DJs Saturday Night Soul Party twice a month, says that his connection to the place was immediate and that a community has formed around the shows he plays there. Unfortunately, although the Elbo Room is home to many, only two people – Dennis Ring and Susan-Rokisky Ring – own the building, and they’re ready to do something else with the property.
In a heated community meeting last week, the Rings positioned the condominium they plan to build in the Elbo Room’s place as a home for them to retire to. But according to Shapiro, who leases the space from the Rings and remains close with the couple, they are not specifically building a senior living home. When asked whether he thought they were playing up the retirement aspect to garner sympathy, he declined to comment. The Rings did not respond to multiple requests for a comment, perhaps because real estate developers, and certainly the Rings themselves, are typically portrayed in an unflattering light in this city.
In a city where the population is growing – and certain industry incomes along with it – one person’s opportunity can be another’s heartbreak. Places like the Elbo Room inspire intense feelings of ownership, even when the legal backing for that sentiment is murky.
The new plan for a nine-unit building will certainly be a lucrative investment for the Rings (the condos on 20th and Valencia Streets sold for around $1,400 per square foot), but Shapiro believes they are sincere about their plan to live there long-term. He believes that if the market was not as strong, they might postpone their decision to build the condo, but ultimately, he accepts their plans for the building. “It’s their right,” he says. “I wish they wouldn’t, but it’s their building. What are you going to do?”
In a city where the population is growing – and certain industry incomes along with it – one person’s opportunity can be another’s heartbreak. Places like the Elbo Room inspire intense feelings of ownership, even when the legal backing for that sentiment is murky. As Phengren Oswald, who also DJs Saturday Night Soul Party, says, “I’ve DJ’d there, played in bands there, seen great bands there, and played my best game of pinball ever there. I’m not even being nostalgic; it’s just that kind of place.” It’s also been life changing at a professional level; his co-DJ Sean “Lucky” Siegle says, “It has given me the opportunity to pursue my dreams and make those dreams a reality.”
Knowing that the Rings are within their rights to turn their building into condos hasn’t stopped the wave of community dissent; perhaps since the closing is part of a larger trend, it has a negative impact beyond the emotions of its loyal clientele. Matt Haze Kaftor, DJ, business owner, and Mission resident, believes that places like the Elbo Room are fixtures of the neighborhood’s culture. With each new condominium, “the grit, the DIY culture, [and] collaboration” disappear, he says.
Places like the Elbo Room are fixtures of the neighborhood’s culture. With each new condominium, “the grit, the DIY culture, [and] collaboration” disappear.
Brian Adler, a live sound engineer who worked at Cafe Du Nord until it closed, adds that these club closings threaten SF’s identity as a place where music is created, because small clubs present opportunities for artists at all levels to develop and express their craft. “If bands can’t play, they can’t get new fans; they can’t fill a club. And if you can’t get shows, what’s the point?” Keith Kanoff, a booker at the Hotel Utah, says this situation is a reminder that even with clubs like the Utah, Milk Bar, and Bottom of the Hill around to perform in, San Francisco is slowly becoming uninhabitable for musicians due to the cost of living.
Kerry LaBelle, former owner of Cafe Du Nord, agrees that the music scene in SF is going through some hard times, but she doesn’t think that that precludes the Rings from living their lives. “I don’t hold it against them,” she says of their decision to turn their building into condos. “They’ve contributed a lot to SF. They’ve done more for the city than most. [But] is it sad? Yes.” Although landlords are entitled to using their property however they legally see fit, other members of the community still wonder why the Rings, who own a number of other buildings in San Francisco, can’t find an alternative condo location.
The biggest roadblock for the Rings doesn’t come from the music or bar-going community, however. According to Tim Frye, Preservation Coordinator at the San Francisco Planning Department, the Elbo Room has undergone a standard historic evaluation from an outside consultant to determine if the building should be protected for architectural, historical, or cultural reasons. Researchers Shayne Watson and Donna Graves have written an LBGTQ Historic Context Statement that includes the Elbo Room’s building. It previously housed a lesbian bar called Amelia’s, owned by Rikki Streicher, whom Watson calls “one of the top three most influential lesbians of all time in San Francisco.” They believe the building should be preserved because of its significance in LGBT history.
If Watson and Graves’ research successfully demonstrates the historical relevance of 647 Valencia street, it will be a significant step for the LBGTQ community and a happy coincidence for Elbo Room lovers. It could also impact real estate developers, who may find themselves more limited in their ability to develop certain properties.
In a city that is inherently transient, there’s a lot of disagreement about what should stay the same and what should change. As Johns points out, “If we had preserved the Castro as it was in 1968, there would be no gay people there.”
Watson and Graves’ research [could] be a significant step for the LBGTQ community and a happy coincidence for Elbo Room lovers. It could also impact real estate developers, who may find themselves more limited in their ability to develop certain properties.
Additionally, because only buildings, not businesses, are covered by the Preservation Commission’s statute, it can only protect the physical structure, not its use. However, the SF Heritage organization’s Legacy Project, which identifies historic bars and restaurants, might be able to help local businesses in specific ways. Its goal, says Renee Cohn, SF Heritage’s communications and programs manager, is to set up legacy businesses for continued success by providing visibility and tax incentives.
Unlike some other small businesses in the city, the Elbo Room is financially secure and stands a good chance of continuing in another location. But the change in address will still be symbolic of a significant shift in the city’s culture. “Whatever happens, it will be different,” say Shapiro. “I have no idea in what context.” As sad as it is for many residents, those who have been in San Francisco for a long time understand that, as Johns says, “Whatever you do in SF, there’s someone there that was here before you, and there will be someone here after you.”
LaBelle, who lived through the last tech boom while working in the music industry, is slightly more sentimental. “What’s going to come out of the ashes of what we hold dear to us? I guess we don’t know yet.”
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