251-253 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94114

The property at 251-253 Church Street is a two-story, multi-family residential building with commercial space, built in 1905 and owned by Church St Trust. The mixed-use building contains three residential units and was formerly home to a full-service sushi restaurant (Sancha Sushi) seeking to operate with a seating capacity of 49 and alcohol service under Type 41 license.

The building underwent several notable modifications in the 1980s, including a horizontal extension and rear addition in 1986, and received fire safety upgrades in 2009 with the installation of an automatic fire suppression system for the kitchen hood. Recent concerns about the property emerged in late 2020, when multiple complaints were filed regarding fire safety hazards and debris accumulation in the vacant restaurant space, though these complaints have since been marked as not active.

Between 2022 and 2024, there have been recurring municipal service calls primarily related to street-level issues, including garbage and debris management, graffiti, and occasional sidewalk blockages. Of particular note, there were two fire-related incidents recorded in the building's history: a gas leak and an emergency medical service incident, both with no civilian injuries reported. While the building appears to be currently operating under multiple approved permits for commercial use, including recent ABC referrals for type 41 licenses in 2021 and 2024, there are still some open cases related to graffiti (2023) and illegal postings (2024) requiring attention.