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Historic 1919 North Beach “Broadway Studios” Up for Auction

Got $2.15 million? You can make a starting bid on a massive venue that hosted shows by Louis Armstrong, Robin Williams, the Go-Gos and Dave Chappelle.
By - posted 5/24/2023 No Comment

Thanks to SF Gate for letting us know that the historic 12,000 sq. ft. Broadway Studios in North Beach is going up for auction.

Located in the heart of North Beach at 435 Broadway near Kearny, the classic Mission-style building was built in 1919 by the Italian community and began its first incarnation as Garibaldi Hall. In the 1930s it was a favorite ballroom for swing and jazz nights, which saw the likes of Louis Armstrong grace its stage.

In the ’70s the venue was host to many memorable events including appearances from Robin Williams, Blondie and other now legendary rock bands. In the ’80s as “Mubuhay Gardens” it was the epicenter of the San Francisco punk scene with acts like the Go-Go’s, The Dead Kennedys, Iggy Pop, The Nuns, and Metallica playing to packed houses.

Recently, Broadway Studios served as a comedy club with Dave Chappelle, Patton Oswalt, and Harland Williams all filming specials there, and Funcheap hosting pop-up comedy shows with HellaFunny at the venue  2022 and early 2023.

The auction for the property begins June 6, 2023 at 9am with a starting bid of $2.15 million, and ends on June 8th.

Why the auction route? Socketsite reports that the original price was reduced from $8.35 million to $7.5 million last year, but with no takers. But an “auction” isn’t necessarily just going to result in the property going to the highest bidder.

According to some of the comments in the article, “starting” bids are not the same as “minimum” bids so the seller’s minimum amount they might accept could be much higher and the owner can reject or counter the highest bid.