The San Francisco Armory building that was purchased by Kink’s Peter Acworth now is under political fire.
Acworth bought the 200,000-square-foot building for $14.5 million in December 2006.
However, Mayor Gavin Newsom’s administration on Monday released a somewhat cryptic message that stated, in part, that "the Newsom administration announced today that it will seek a partnership with the Planning Commission and neighborhood groups to ensure adequate community input for the future use of the building." But, there was no declarative statement that Acworth could not move his company, which produces adult content, into the armory.
In the same press release, Planning Commission President Dwight Alexander stated, "We are looking forward to having a community conversation on the use of this important building."
Yet, the planning commission gave Acworth a letter of determination, which gave the company approval for use of the armory, according to Reena Patel, vice president of marketing for Kink.
"We have the necessary approvals to be in the armory," Acworth said. "We film indoors, and people are not allowed in the building. We don’t really see what the problem is."
The armory building has been vacant for 36 years. The previous developers we’re bound by the Landmark’s Preservation Board not to alter the exterior of the building, and it was this fact that made condo conversions difficult, Acworth said. In fact, the most recent bid included penthouses on the roof, and this is something the board opposed.
Acworth, however, does not seek to change the building’s exterior or interior structure. Rather, he says, Kink will "restore the building to its original grandeur."
