At the corner of Hawthorne and Folsom, across the street form the Passport agency and Canton Dim Sum is a mysterious building. A derelict office building that some say is haunted. Is it haunted? Is it slated for demolition? Is it slated for underground raves?
I went over to the building in question one rainy day to check it out for myself. The large, looming structure is mysterious indeed: rows and rows of small darkened windows, a dusty lobby filled with scaffolding and discarded tarp, and “No Trespassing” signs that had been posted only a few weeks previous. I peered through the gate: there was a ripped poster for “Padriac Rya” (maybe the Padriac Ryan Damon Cooke shot in 1991???) with a barely discernible 510 phone number that rang endlessly when I called it (seriously, I’m not making this shit up), but nothing else. However, the No Trespassing signs had an address: TMG Partners, in Emeryville.
After weeks of calling the office, the only info I got was that TMG had recently purchased the building–and the person who gave me that information asked not to be quoted by name. (The purchase is so recent, in fact, that it’s not listed on TMG’s site.)
Finally, I talked to Matt Field, TMG’s managing director. He told me via email: “The building is not haunted (as far as I know), the building is not slated for demolition, and there will be no underground raves.”
He said the building was previously offices for SBC Communications and that it had been vacant for several years. He also told me that it was built by Pacific Bell in the 60’s.
“We are currently evaluating renovation alternatives for the property,” he said–but did not respond when I asked him to tell me more.
If you have any anecdotes about the building, let us know in the comments. There has to be someone with a ghost story or at least a really good underground rave story out there!
Think of “Ask the Appeal” as your own personal genie: no Bay-related question is too big or too small. Whether you’re concerned with a municipal question, a consumer advocacy issue or simply with consuming alcohol, email us your questions at ask@sfappeal.com (or, find answers to past questions here). We’ll either do the dirty work and talk to the folks in charge, contact an expert in the field, or – if your question is particularly intriguing or juicy – develop it into a full-blown investigative article.
Want more news, sent to your inbox every day? Then how about subscribing to our email newsletter? Here’s why we think you should. Come on, give it a try.
