About that old police station

Reader Britta writes in to let us know about a writeup she did on the old (abandoned?) Mission Police Station on 17th Street near Treat. I’ve always wanted to check out the interior, but never had the chance. Anyone know what’s going on in there now? Last I heard Tracy Chapman was thinking of buying it, and had maybe done some recording in there. Britta suggests that it may currently be owned by an entertainment industry management firm. Sounds spooky.

In 2014


[image via Google Street View]

In 1924


[photograph via UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library]

[article link]

19 Responses to “About that old police station”

  1. MrEricSir says:

    The Planning Dept. property map lists an application for a permit to turn it into a artist’s live/work loft back in ’99. Wonder if that artist was Tracy Chapman?

    http://propertymap.sfplanning.org/?&search=3057 17TH ST

  2. Some Jerk says:

    I took this picture of it a while back: https://www.flickr.com/photos/obeyken/6265565114/

  3. JeffB says:

    I remember sometime in the mid-nineties, Madonna supposedly had a release party there – it was a huge deal with the street blocked off and the sidewalk covered in red carpet. I worked down the street and everyone was abuzz about the whole affair. So, the music industry connection sounds legit.

  4. Betty says:

    Tracy chapman has owned/lived in it for years.

  5. thomas Gomez says:

    I worked for Pg&e fot 42 years. A native San Franciscan I had access to many buildings. Bacl in the 90′s a man bouhgt the old police station. He restored the interior, which had large spacious rooms in the Classical style. For a short time he sold antiques therr

  6. Shotwellian says:

    I’ve always been curious what the old (Pepsi?) bottling plant at 17th and Valencia looked like before it was replaced by the new police station. Anyone have a picture of that?

  7. Brandon Cruz says:

    I have the picture in my mind! For real – it’s from the 80s though – pre-digital, sorry.

  8. Jim Chi says:

    I seem to remember reading in “Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist” by Alexander Berkman or maybe “Living My Life” by Emma Goldman that Berkman was held in that jail temporarily before being deported…. I dont have time to research it to verify, but if someone else does it would be interesting…

  9. HarveyMILF says:

    You can see all the names on the deeds going back to the 90s here-
    http://www.criis.com/webtemp/67.161.21.232/apn_list.html

  10. Michael says:

    Tracy Chapman does own and live there. I friend of my did extensive ceiling murals in there for her. It is an absolutely amazing gem!