SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, local elected officials, heads of cultural organizations and community partners joined the Presidio Trust today to celebrate the (re)opening of the Presidio Officers’ Club after a complete rehabilitation. San Francisco’s most historic building and the social center of the Presidio for over 100 years, the 36,895 square foot building has been transformed into the next great cultural destination in San Francisco.
“The Presidio is a San Francisco treasure, and the Officers’ Club is its crown jewel,” said Congresswoman Pelosi, “I am so proud to be here today to celebrate this remarkable milestone.”
With a special ceremony featuring a military tribute and performance by acclaimed mezzo-soprano Fredrica von Stade, distinguished guests gathered to recognize the historic Officers’ Club and celebrate this important milestone for the national park. Once only open to military officers, the Officers’ Club reopens to the public the weekend of October 4-5 after a three-year intensive rehabilitation of the building and its original adobe structure, dating to the early Spanish colonial settlement of El Presidio.
“I invite all San Franciscans to visit the Officers’ Club,” said Craig Middleton, Presidio Trust Executive Director. “Stunning exhibits about the Presidio’s history, a new restaurant with Chef Traci Des Jardins, free public programs every week, event and education spaces, allow us to welcome the public like never before.”
The updated Presidio Officers’ Club is a dynamic cultural destination that reflects the diversity of the Bay Area. The building offers exhibits and programs that allow visitors to establish a deep understanding of the Presidio’s vital role in shaping California and serving the nation. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy exceptional programs, including live music and dance, dialogues with notable authors and thinkers, films and family programs, all offered for free, courtesy of the Presidio Trust. No visit to San Francisco is complete without a visit to the Officers’ Club.
The Presidio Trust became financially self-sufficient in 2013 and now manages the park without federal funds. Financial self-sufficiency has allowed the Trust to shift its focus to welcoming the public to this new kind of national park. The reopening of the Officers’ Club is the first of many new initiatives the Trust is rolling out in the next few years, including new restaurants, a third inn, and a rich schedule of free programming. The Presidio Trust opened its first overnight accommodations, Inn at the Presidio, in 2012 and in May 2014 opened its first full service restaurant, the Commissary, with Chef Des Jardins. It hosts popular events and programs, including Presidio Picnics with Off the Grid every Thursday evening and Sunday.
The Presidio Officers’ Club is located in the Presidio of San Francisco at 50 Moraga Avenue (at Arguello Boulevard) on the Presidio’s Main Post. The Officers’ Club formally opens to the public on October 4 and 5. It is open to visitors every day except Monday. Additional details can be found at www.presidio.gov/poc.
About the Presidio Trust
The Presidio Trust, a federal agency, is an innovation in the management of a treasured American place. The Trust was created to save the Presidio and transform it for a new national purpose. The Trust's vision is that the Presidio will be forever a public place: vital to the Bay Area, important to all Americans, and recognized for achieving broad benefits for the nation. Today, the Presidio welcomes visitors, is home to a vibrant community of residents and tenants, and inspires greater good through programs that draw on its history and natural resources. The Presidio Trust serves the public with events, lodging, venues, and recreational opportunities. To learn more, visit www.presidio.gov.
Presidio Officers’ Club B Roll
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Officers’ Club Press Room: http://www.presidio.gov/oclub
