FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2025
Media Contact:
Kerri Young
Programs and Communications Director
San Francisco Heritage
415-483-4774
kyoung@sfheritage.org
[SAN FRANCISCO]—San Francisco Heritage today announced the selection of five teams invited to submit full proposals for the adaptive reuse of the historic Doolan-Larson Residence and Storefronts at the corner of Haight and Ashbury streets: Haight-Ashbury Music Experience/Studio Terpeluk, KEXP, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Tannerhecht Architecture, and Tim Barber Architects.
“This is the most famous intersection in the world,” noted Woody LaBounty, President & CEO of San Francisco Heritage. “Everyone understands the amazing opportunity to add to its storied history and the importance of stewarding its legacy. We look forward to and know we will see proposals that inspire and bring people together for decades to come.”
The five finalists were selected from 13 teams who submitted concepts in November 2025. Proposals include live music performance and radio broadcast, immersive theater, and a civic literacy program. Each presented innovative ideas to transform the SF Heritage-stewarded property into a public gathering space that honors the Haight’s legacy as the heart of the 1960s Counterculture movement and its role in shaping San Francisco’s cultural identity.
“The creativity and thoughtfulness in the submissions we received were impressive,” said LaBounty. “Selecting just five teams was incredibly difficult.”
Brent Glass, former Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History whose firm is guiding the project’s preservation and development process, emphasized the national significance of the effort. “From the outset, we wanted this project to be a national model of historic preservation. The five teams we selected represent a strong commitment to preserve an iconic site and its connection to a story of enduring cultural significance. They also understand that neighborhood engagement and access is essential.”
Since announcing the effort in summer 2025, San Francisco Heritage has engaged with community members and stakeholders to gather input. The organization continues to welcome feedback from neighbors, business owners, nonprofits, developers, and any other interested parties.
The RFP will be issued on February 6, 2026 (view it here), and complete proposals are due by 5:00 pm PT on June 1, 2026. The teams will present their concepts to the public in April.
Above: One-page summaries of initial concepts submitted by the finalists in 2025. The Haight-Ashbury Music Experience and Studio Terpeluk have already combined into one team, for a total of five teams invited to the RFP stage.
About the Doolan-Larson Residence & Storefronts—”The House at Haight-Ashbury”
Originally constructed in 1903 for Richard P. Doolan and raised in 1907 to add ground-floor storefronts, the building became the epicenter of Haight-Ashbury’s transformative movements in music, art, civil rights, LGBTQ+ identity, environmentalism, and technology during the 1960s. Mnasidika, one of San Francisco’s first hippie shops and associated with legendary rock performers such as the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin, occupied the 1510 Haight Street storefront. The property was donated to San Francisco Heritage by longtime owner and resident Norm Larson in 2017. www.haightandashbury.org
About San Francisco Heritage
San Francisco Heritage is a 501(c)(3) membership organization that preserves and enhances San Francisco’s unique architectural and cultural identity. Since its founding in 1971, SF Heritage has built on its activist underpinnings and has dedicated itself to citywide advocacy and education
