A San Francisco developer locked in a battle over a historic building in North Beach can resume work on tearing down part of the structure that was deemed dangerous and at risk of collapse.A North Beach resident had filed an appeal to stop the developer from an emergency partial demolition of the Verdi Building at 659 Union St., but the San Francisco Board of Appeals on May 20 unanimously rejected the appeal.
The developer can now move ahead with figuring out how to redevelop the long-derelict building, known to many residents as the Coit Liquors building. Previous plans have included housing, retail space and a rooftop restaurant.
The structure facing Washington Square Park at Columbus Avenue has sat empty since a fire gutted it in 2018. It has since become one of the city’s most prominent blighted properties — and a safety hazard to surrounding buildings and passersby…