The Trocadero Clubhouse in SF’s Sigmund Stern Grove sustained significant damage during a recent storm when an 85-foot-tall eucalyptus tree crashed into the structure’s roof.
According to SF Recreation and Parks, Rangers responded to an alarm at the Clubhouse at 5:30am, and found that the structure’s roof and eave were partially crushed. The interior of the building was also flooded due to a damaged sprinkler system.
As a result of the damage, the Department of Building Inspection has red-tagged the building, marking it unsafe to occupy or inhabit.
“This is soul crushing. The Trocadero and Stern Grove are San Francisco treasures. It will take political leadership, resources and community resolve to put the Trocadero back together again,” commented SF Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg.
The Trocadero Inn, as it was originally known, was built in 1892 and largely catered to groups of men out for a day of drinking, dining, and gambling. According to SF Heritage, the Trocadero was leased to a series of operators that brought “beer gardens, dance pavilions, and a couple of tame bears were installed for entertainment at different times.” They also note that local bicycle clubs often made the Trocadero the location for post-ride parties.
There’s no word yet on what the SF officials plan to do with the badly damaged structure or what the cost of repair could be.
Featured image: @sfrecpark via Instagram