How Does A Retail Space Stay Empty In San Francisco For 16 Years?

A prime location in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood that has stood vacant for 16 years is set to open as a skincare clinic this month. Locals call the story of 3939 24th St. a “great saga,” combining an absentee owner, memories of a bitter labor dispute, retrofit requirements and squabbles over building — or not building — housing. It’s coming to an end with the opening of SkinSpirit, a medical spa, at the site on April 15. The last tenant was the Real Food Co., a health food market that abruptly closed in September 2003 after a year of ownership under Nutraceutical Corp., a health supplement company in Park City, Utah. Read more at San Francisco Chronicle.