The Empire Theater in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood is set to be demolished and replaced with a nine-story residential building. DM Development, acting on behalf of a group led by Jesse Appleton, plans to build 64 apartments at 85 West Portal Avenue. The Appleton family has owned the property for more than a century.
Jesse Appleton and a partner acquired the theater in 2021 from other family members after Cinemark, the previous operator, ended its lease and removed all cinema equipment. “The [former operator] mothballed it, stripped out all the equipment and just left it,” Appleton told the San Francisco Chronicle. He added that efforts to revive the venue as a theater were unsuccessful due to its deteriorated condition and competition from a nearby multiplex. Instead, the development will include 62 two- and three-bedroom rental units.
“We want something that is going to endure. We want to stay in this long term. That is our goal,” said Appleton.
Developers plan to use Senate Bill 330 and Assembly Bill 2011, which allow for increased density and expedited approval processes for housing projects in California. Under these provisions, ten of the planned units will be below market rate: five designated for households earning half of the area median income and five for those earning up to 120 percent of that benchmark. Construction could begin next year.
This move follows broader trends in San Francisco where historic theaters are being redeveloped or renovated. In April, city officials approved zoning changes at Alexandria Theater for new housing construction, while other venues like Clay Theatre are undergoing upgrades under new ownership.
