Today could be a defining point for the embattled Gold Dust Lounge as the city's Historic Preservation Commission is set to hear arguments on granting the iconic watering hole historic landmark status.
To help make their case, supporters of the bar are planning to turn over more than 5,000 signatures from people who would like to see the Gold Dust Lounge stay exactly where it is -- in the heart of Union Square. As it stands, the bar's last pour is scheduled for March 6, when the owners will be booted from the space. However, historians and community members are hoping to convince the city that this bar, which has been serving tourists and locals since 1933, is part of the city's fabric.
"Today's extensive, well researched, and historically accurate Gold Dust Lounge petition for San Francisco landmark status represents hundreds of hours of work by several professional historians and many dedicated supporters," Lee Houskeeper, spokesman for the bar, told us this morning.
Housekeeper has told us that even with a historic landmark status the business could still get evicted; however, it would create more hurdles for the
landlord, John Handlery, to make changes to the interior. Handlery has plans to gut
the inside of the bar, and add an escalator.
The commission, which is scheduled to hear the item at 1:30 p.m., could make a decision today. Stay tuned, all you Gold Dust Loungers.
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