South End Historic District Certification

LOCATION: San Francisco, California
CLIENT: Martin Building Group
DATE COMPLETED: 2007

The South End Historic District is a large district in San Francisco's South of Market Area comprising approximately 80 brick and concrete-frame industrial loft buildings constructed between the years of 1867 and 1935. The historic district encompasses some of the city's finest masonry warehouses constructed to store goods in transit to and from San Francisco and the rest of the world. The local landmark district was designated in 1990. Since then, despite the rapid turnover of the district contributors from industrial to office and residential use as the core of so-called "Multimedia Gulch," the South End Historic District remains San Francisco's most intact collection of former industrial buildings.

In 2006, while he was in charge of the Cultural Resources Studio at Page & Turnbull, Chris VerPlanck oversaw the certification of the South End Historic District as a National Register historic district. Discovering an obscure procedure outlined in the U.S. tax code, VerPlanck prepared individual survey forms for each district contributor, updated the historic context statement, and submitted the documentation to the San Francisco Planning Department for comment before seeking approval at the national level. The certification was approved in 2007 and now owners of property within the district are able to take advantage of Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits, charitable façade easement donations, and other preservation programs. The certification also recognizes the former importance of San Francisco's industrial and warehousing industry to the local, regional, and national economy.

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