Committee advances Clay Theatre landmark nomination after neighborhood advocates testify

The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to forward a resolution to initiate landmark designation for the Clay Theatre, a single-screen moviehouse built in 1910 on Fillmore Street.

Domenica Donovan, a legislative aide to Supervisor Catherine Stefani, summarized the nomination and said the supervisor had circulated clerical amendments. She described the Clay as an important neighborhood cultural anchor that hosted midnight screenings and low-cost showings for decades. Several neighborhood theater advocates, representatives from San Francisco Heritage and the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation, and longtime patrons testified in support of initiating the designation; one caller said the foundation made a $3.5 million offer for the property that the owner rejected and expressed concern the owner’s asking price had risen dramatically.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin moved to forward the resolution with the proposed amendments; the committee recorded unanimous 'ayes' and the item will proceed to the full Board for subsequent Historic Preservation Commission review and further hearings.