The Harding Theater was built in 1926 by local theater owner Samuel H. Levin who hired Reid Brothers architects. The theater opened April 8, 1926 with Colleen Moore starring in the first movie version of the hit musical Irene. As with other facilities built by the Reid Brothers, it has a capacity of between 800 and 1200 people. The Harding was used as a movie theater from 1926 to 1970. The theatrical group Lamplighters Music Theatre performed at the facility from 1961 to 1968, The Grateful Dead played the theater on 6 and 7 November 1971. From the mid-1970s to 2004, the theater was used as a church. In 2004, the building was purchased by developers for US$1.6 million.
Renovation
The owner/developer had a "compromise" plan—to remove the back fly system - so that a separate independent structure containing eight units of housing condominia could be constructed while preserving the existing proscenium arch, maintaining the existing auditorium and lobby and their extant detailing. Consideration for the removal and reconstruction of the raked theater floor and seating to allow for a new parking level below, addition of windows, and the upgrade of restrooms to conform with modern building codes were also reviewed in depth to conform with the Secretary of the Interior's "Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Structures". Historic preservation activists believe this plan threatens the historical integrity of the building and limits its future uses. An appeal was filed against the San Francisco Planning Department's "Negative Declaration" to the Environmental Impact Report under the California Environmental Quality Act. In 2005, a similar challenge was successfully made against the negative declaration to the developer's original plan to demolish the entire theater to build more condominiums. That appeal was heard by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in April 2005. The Planning Department's recent Mitigated Negative Declaration was appealed by Friends of 1800 and was heard on September 25, 2008. The Planning Department rescinded that Preliminary Negative Declaration and prepared a new one, which has also been appealed by the Friends of 1800. The request for an EIR was heard on November 13, 2008, by the San Francisco Planning Commission, at San Francisco City Hall. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the request of the Friends of 1800 for an EIR, so an EIR will be required for the project. A feasible plan to pay for and preserve the entire theater has not been put forward by the activists. The developer says he is now putting the building upfor sale. A local theater preservation nonprofit is investigating ways to preserve the theater. In November 2010, laser cats were painted on the theater's boarded up entrance. A conditional-use permit hearing was held in November 2015 to convert the main space into an arcade bar, the fourth in the franchise from Chicago-based Emporium Arcade Bar. The venue, which features 50 vintage arcade games, a full bar, and live music, opened in December, 2017. The tenants removed dilapidated aspects, such as seating, while renovating more historic items.
