SAN FRANCISCO | 85 West Portal Avenue | 156 FT | 12 FLOORS

[38 Geary]

The specs for 85 West Portal Ave:
- 9 floors, 119 ft
- 64 units (16 1BR, 36 2BR, 12 3BR)
- 10 of the units will be affordable
- 4,095 sq ft for ground floor retail
- Parking for 27 cars and 71 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/txtbygWwWGEUmK487

Residential Redevelopment Revealed For Empire Theater in West Portal, San Francisco



By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on January 6, 2026

Preliminary permits have been filed for the demolition of the vacant Empire Theater at 85 West Portal Avenue in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood. The building has been vacant since Cinemark closed the location in February 2021, with plans to replace it with a nine-story apartment complex with ground-floor retail. Jesse Appleton, co-managing member of Empire West Portal, LLC, is listed as the property owner and applicant.

...

Handel Architects is responsible for the design. Detailed renderings have not yet been published, but the published facade elevations offer a glimpse into the plans. The exterior will be clad with colored pre-cast concrete, contrasting off-white, brown, and terracotta-tone paint. The ornamental cornice for the existing building will be retained along West Portal Avenue, though the rest of the century-old theater is expected to be demolished.

The building will include a basement garage with access from Vicente Street, a residential lobby, and retail on the ground floor. The housing will be located on floors two through nine, with amenities spread across the residential floors and a rooftop deck overlooking West Portal Avenue.

https://sfyimby.com/2026/01/residential-...heater-in-west-portal-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

And the renderings:





https://sfyimby.com/2026/01/residential-...heater-in-west-portal-san-francisco.html

[Busy Bee]

Another old cinema lost...

Can't say I'm thrilled to hear that.

[38 Geary]

S.F. theater to be replaced by a 9-story family housing development in West Portal
By J.K. Dineen, Staff Writer
Jan 6, 2026



West Portal’s long-closed Empire Theater will be knocked down to make way for the biggest development that neighborhood has seen in generations, a nine-story, 64-unit building that the property owners hope will inject more vitality to a strip that has been attracting new restaurants and retail in recent years.

...

Appleton grew up in St. Louis but summered with grandparents in San Francisco, where he would frequent the family-owned movie palace. He said his group looked into reviving it as a theater, but the poor condition of the building — it had a hole in the roof — and the opening of the nearby Stonestown Regal 12 multiplex meant there was zero interest from operators. In contrast, housing seemed like a better bet in a neighborhood where, according to Redfin, prices have skyrocketed 30% in the last year to a median sales price of $2.8 million. The 64 units will be mostly “family-sized” with two and three bedrooms, and will be rental.

...

Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who represents West Portal, said the project has her full support, although she acknowledged that it would likely face stiff opposition from some merchants and residents. Several leaders of the merchants group have threatened to recall Melgar for her support of Lurie’s rezoning. “I want more family housing and I want more rental units specifically, so I’m glad that’s what we are getting,” she said. “I know folks are going to be upset no matter what, the merchants are going to be upset. In the long run it would be fantastic to have that many more customers. It will be short-term pain for a great gain.” The project is within walking distance to two elementary schools — West Portal and Commodore Sloat — and in an area where many empty-nesters would love to downsize if there were options, Melgar said. The last significant multifamily building nearby, the six-story, 12-unit art deco structure built into the hillside at 330 West Portal, was completed in 1933. “There is no place to go in District 7 for people who want to downsize and don’t need the big home anymore,” she said. In September, the Chronicle reported that representatives of both the Greater West Portal Neighborhood Association and West Portal Merchants Association warned that Melgar could face a recall effort over her backing of taller and denser housing. The nine-story building, which will be three times the height of most neighboring structures, is being designed by Handel Architects, with contribution from two members of the Appleton family — Michael and Andrew Appleton — who are longtime San Francisco architects. One section of the L-shaped complex will feature terracotta pre-cast concrete with dark bronze paneling and vision-glass Juliet balconies. The podium, which will face West Portal and include the building lobby and retail space, will be pre-cast concrete and take design cues from the existing art deco theater, according to MacDonald. There will be 26 two-bedroom units and 12 three-bedroom units. It will have 27 parking spaces.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/empire-theater-razed-housing-21277801.php

[38 Geary]

The updated specs for 85 West Portal Ave:
- 9 floors, 112 ft
- 64 units (16 1BR, 36 2BR, 12 3BR)
- 10 of the units will be affordable
- 4,100 sq ft for ground level retail
- Parking for 27 cars and 64 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8xf3SownZEhNWuoy7

Formal Application For Empire Theater Redevelopment in West Portal, San Francisco



By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on July 13, 2026

Formal permits have been filed for plans to replace the vacant Empire Theater with housing at 85 West Portal Avenue in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood. The nine-story proposal would add several dozen apartments above ground-floor retail in the heart of the low-slung neighborhood. DM Development is overseeing the application on behalf of the property owner, Empire West Portal LLC.

...

Handel Architects is responsible for the design. Updated renderings show an articulated complex with distinct color palettes, terracotta and off-white concrete panels, to appear like two structures overlooking West Portal Avenue and Vicente Street. Illustrations show the strange inclusion of the ornamental cornice above the future retail space, with the rest of the century-old theater to be demolished.

The structure will cover most of the irregularly shaped 0.4-acre property, aside from a small portion directly behind 69 West Portal Avenue. The L-shaped floor plan will have the retail and residential lobby facing West Portal Avenue, and the garage ramp on Vicente Street.

https://sfyimby.com/2026/07/formal-appli...opment-in-west-portal-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

And the renderings:





https://sfyimby.com/2026/07/formal-appli...opment-in-west-portal-san-francisco.html

[BobbyMucho]

I think it looks good! Tasteful use of materials and massing. Ground floor is a bit underwhelming but all-glass is the thing now, apparently.

The concern around relative scale is totally justifiable considering the 'small village' vibe out there (a 6-story would def 'feel' like an ideal scale).

That said, I think it'll feel at home on West Portal Ave once complete and even more so once a few more multi-story projects happen (looking at those banks, parking lots and that nearly-empty-single-story-suburban-plaza/mall thing).

[38 Geary]

This one gets a height and unit bump.

The main changes:
- 9 -> 12 floors
- 112 -> 156 ft
- 64 -> 172 units (0 -> 21 studios, 16 -> 52 1BR, 36 -> 72 2BR, 12 -> 27 3BR)
- 10 -> 26 affordable units
- 4,100 -> 7,000 sq ft for ground floor retail
- 27 -> 89 parking spaces for cars
- 64 -> 127 parking spaces for bicycles

The updated specs for 85 West Portal Ave:
- 12 floors, 156 ft
- 172 units (21 studios, 52 1BR, 72 2BR, 27 3BR)
- 26 of the units will be affordable
- 7,000 sq ft for ground level retail
- Parking for 89 cars and 127 bicycles

The site:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8xf3SownZEhNWuoy7

Increased Plans For 85 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco



By: Andrew Nelson 5:30 am on September 1, 2026

Increased plans have been filed for 85 West Portal Avenue in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood. The proposal now seeks to replace the vacant theater with a 12-story mixed-use complex with 172 rental apartments above ground-floor retail and a basement garage. DM Development is overseeing the application on behalf of the property owner, Empire West Portal LLC.

...

Handel Architects is responsible for the design. Updated renderings show that the overall scheme has not shifted significantly since the previous iteration at 85 West Portal Avenue. With the additional parcel for the project, the floor plates will conform to an irregular site. The exterior will be clad with painted precast concrete, metal panels, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The ground-floor entrances will integrate a partially preserved facade from the theater and a historicized copy of the decorative features at 59-61 West Portal Avenue.

The proposal spans 0.56 acres at the corner of Vicente Street and West Portal Avenue. Demolition will also be required for the commercial structure at 59 West Portal Avenue, currently occupied by a Supercuts and Goodwill Boutique storefront.

https://sfyimby.com/2026/09/increased-plans-for-85-west-portal-avenue-san-francisco.html

[38 Geary]

And the renderings:







https://sfyimby.com/2026/09/increased-plans-for-85-west-portal-avenue-san-francisco.html

[theskysthelimit]

I assume the parking entrance will be on Vicente street. That will be a disaster as that block is always blocked up with vehicles coming out of St. Francis Woods and off of Portola.

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by theskysthelimit

I assume the parking entrance will be on Vicente street. That will be a disaster as that block is always blocked up with vehicles coming out of St. Francis Woods and off of Portola.

A fair point. Let's hope the residents and patrons of the ground floor retail will be high utilizers of public transit and walking and other forms of micro mobility given this particular locations high transit orientation, as a way to help minimize vehicular congestion in this area.

If I measured the distance correctly on Google Maps, the "door to door" distance from this project to the West Portal Station (which serves 3 Muni Metro lines—the K, L, and M) is just under 400 ft.