[The Harding Theater; Image courtesy Flickr photog caffeina]
Preservationists battling a proposed 8-unit condo project adjacent to the former Harding Theater just might be a little red in the face— a key argument in their fight to block the project entirely has been the historic value of the theater's stage, which was used, ostensibly, for vaudeville acts. (The developer wants to raze the stage before restoring the theater.) As tends to be the case in San Francisco redevelopment wars, public opinion is varied. Developers vs. preservationists -- the usual dramz. The catch: While historians have formed their hypothesis based on architectural analysis, they have no actual proof. Enter one Helen Spivak, age 94, who spent quite some time at the Harding as a teen: "I remember the Harding opening, but I don't remember there every [sic] being vaudeville there. There was vaudeville at other places, but not the Harding" Condos, anyone?
· No biz like the slow biz (of development) [SF Gate]
· Preservationists Unite: Condos for the Harding Theater [Curbed SF]
