Rainey Street Bungalow to be demolished

Two popular Rainey Street bars – Bungalow and Container Bar – will be demolished after having their fate delayed by months of postponements from the Historic Landmark Commission, which was reluctant to replace the old neighborhood homes with a 53-floor high-rise. At its July 27 meeting, the commission released a permit for demolition along with a request for a documentation package. Although the commission had little choice, as the property didn’t meet the threshold required for historic designation, the vote tally was 8-2 in support of demolition, with commissioners Mathew Jacob and Beth Valenzuela opposing the motion. Even without the vote, Historic Preservation Officer Kalan Contreras told commissioners that staff would have been obliged to release a demolition permit the following day. City timelines dictate how long a decision may be withheld on an application for demolition; the timeline for the two Rainey Street properties was set to expire the day of the commission meeting.