(Advance warning: This will probably only be interesting to people who know San Francisco.)
You know on Mission and 14th, that huge, beautiful, decaying Armory building that hasn't been used for years? You know how every time you go by it, you think, "God, what a waste, it's such a grand space, somebody should really fix it up and do something with it"?
Well, somebody is. And it just tickles me pink who it is.
It's Kink.com, the online fetish video production company.
Kind of gives new meaning to the phrase "make love, not war," doesn't it?
I don't actually have a whole lot more to say about this. I just think it's cool that the space will be used, and double-cool that a registered landmark building and former National Guard training center will be used to make fetish movies. It's just so very, very San Francisco. (If you want more details, there's an article about it on SFGate -- one that's more newsy and one that's more chatty -- and some TV news clips on Kink.com's site.)
I just hope they decide to rent space out for private parties. I've wanted to see the inside of that building ever since I saw it. Maybe I'll have my 50th birthday there...
As you might know, Greta, I lived down the block from that armory for over six years, when I managed the 14th St. house party space. Also, I parked my minivan in a garage on that alley running along the back of the Armory ... frustrating, yes, seeing that building up close several times a week, having your "what a waste!" reaction.
I wonder how earthquake-proof it is, with all that brick, but like nearly anything else in SF, I guess it's a bit of a dice toss. Glad to hear that landmark building is going to get see some action, in any case!
--Bill
Posted by: Bill Brent | January 14, 2007 at 11:28 AM
I, too, would love to see Kink.com be successful in their planned renovation.
Given the history of community revolt whenever plans for this site are proposed, how long do you think it will take to complete their remodeling?
I hope it's ready by the time you're 50 :-)
Posted by: Seth Munter | January 14, 2007 at 10:50 PM
"Given the history of community revolt whenever plans for this site are proposed, how long do you think it will take to complete their remodeling?"
According to Kink.com, the place will need minimal remodeling -- it's pretty much ready to go for their purposes. They say they'll be ready to start shooting in a month.
Actually, I wonder if this is the reason Kink.com was able to buy the place when nobody else would. They don't have to do extensive renovating. They wanted the place more or less as is -- which wasn't true for the condo converters or dot coms.
Posted by: Greta Christina | January 15, 2007 at 01:08 AM
Well, it took them almost a month to figure it out, but the protests started today. Le sigh.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/08/BAG37O1B4U12.DTL
It's really a pity that these protesters don't understand the quality of work going on in the Kink organization. Where so much porn is seedy and tawdry, Kink hires professional film crews and pays union wages. I know several perfectly ordinary San Franciscans who work or worked there quite successfully in production or administrative roles and wouldn't remotely classify the work at dead-end or violent. Not everyone is such a prude as to instantly judge all porn as negative. I like to think that San Francisco is the kind of town where we can welcome people's sexual diversity. I for one am happy to see the Armory building put to good use by an organization that respects the grand old structure rather than allowing it to fall into an ever advancing state of disrepair.
Posted by: Ammy Hill | February 08, 2007 at 06:52 PM
"Won't somebody please think of the Junkies!"
Well someone had to say it.
Posted by: Rebecca | February 08, 2007 at 08:29 PM