Armory

ABOUT THE ARMORY
Mission Bazaar is proud to present the first public event at the historic San Francisco Armory in over thirty years. This 200,000 square foot reproduction Moorish Castle was completed in 1914 and was used as a National Guard facility until 1976. It is full of period detail including cavernous dungeon-like basements, stone staircases, sweeping corridors, and a gigantic drill court spanning almost an acre.

The Armory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and has been out of official use since this time. “The current owners plan to revive this historic building in consideration of gentrification, and social and environmental concerns while restoring and renovating The Armory to its original splendor, style and beauty.” (uh, see below for further info regarding the new owners).

The Armory is located just two blocks from the 16th Street Mission BART Station. There will be limited parking lot spaces and street parking available around the building.

Of course, you may know The Armory from the recent controversy over the new ownership; in 2006, the building was purchased by “Kink.com” for $14.5 million; the current owner, Peter Acworth, found the gothic architecture to be an ideal backdrop for the BDSM films that the company creates (well, he’s got a point).

When news of the sale got out, the community provided the rather predictable reaction: thoroughly-mixed, and widely-publicized. Many protested, many welcomed. It is San Francisco, after all, not Salt Lake City. Still, the community lost a women’s shelter during the hubbub (in 2007, two years before the shelter planned to leave), and the Mission Armory Community Collective formed to make a lot of noise, presumably shouting “dear God, think of the children” just as the directors inside turned on their cameras. Wait, would that ruin the mood, or…

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