SF: A Newly Minted Mint

The Old Mint will no longer be surrounded by forgotten, abandoned asphalt and concrete, thanks to a $3.5 million make-over. Patrick McNerny, whose company is funding construction, told the Chronicle that his goal is  ”to create a little urban neighborhood, a destination within this part of San Francisco”- a neighborhood in a what was previously a largely derelict “300-foot-long stretch of Jessie Street, running west from Fifth Street alongside the long-closed Old Mint.”

But with respect to the Old Mint, an impressive Greek Revivial behemoth that evokes a feeling of Old San Francisco, the new construction will be subtle, minimalist. Since this “neighborhood’s” closest neighbor is in fact the Mint, McNerny says  ”We didn’t want to infringe, or pretend that we could compete.” Ecological concerns have also been addressed:

The pavers are gray concrete with a terrazzo-like finish, for instance, but a thin gap between each one allows rainwater to drain into the sandy ground below. As for the half-inch gap that slices across the face of the plaza, from the planter filled with spiked grass to the one that holds the oak, it’s a stylish culvert to drain heartier storms.

And just what will development bring us? A plaza with restaurants, cafes, live music, and cultural events. The SF Museum and Historical Trust enthuses:

Preserved in its 1874 glory, the San Francisco Mint will be open to the public in its entirety for the first time as part of the San Francisco Mint Project. One of only five buildings in San Francisco designated a National Historic Landmark, by 2011, the Mint site at the heart of downtown San Francisco will house:

- the Museum of San Francisco and the Bay Area
-the American Money Museum
- a proposed new location for the San Francisco Visitors Information Center
- a Museum Store and several dining and retail venues
- rental space for events and cultural festivals

Want to live nearby one of SF’s newest “neighborhoods” and one of our oldest landmarks at the same time? Here are a few listings in the area:

50 Lansing St., #101: 1/1 condo for $687,500

410 Jessie St., #308: studio loft (constructed by the same company that is constructing the new Mint neighborhood. Bee-u-tee-ful!) for $650,000

821 Folsom St., #208: 1/1 condo for $678,000

520 Natoma St. #2: 1/1 TIC for $268,000

——-

photo credit: Gil Castle/SF History.org