Folger Coffee Building. Photo by Eric in SF courtesy of Wikipedia.
The University of San Francisco
has agreed to buy the historic Folger Coffee Building in the heart of downtown
San Francisco.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and located within walking distance of where USF first
opened its doors in 1855 at Fourth and Market streets, the agreed purchase of
the Folger Building at 101 Howard St. marks a return to the university’s roots
in downtown San Francisco.
With easy access to freeways,
the Bay Bridge, and public transportation, the location builds on USF’s
156-year history of service to San Francisco, while acting on the university’s
goals to be more visible and more tightly woven into the fabric of the city.
“By relocating some of the
university’s programming, we will have more opportunity to serve multiple
audiences – allowing USF to be closer to the businesses and civic organizations
with which we currently partner, while also engaging new prospects for
collaboration,” said USF President Stephen A. Privett, S.J. “With neighbors
such as Google,Twitter,DropBox,SalesForce.com, and established legal and
financial services firms, this acquisition presents tremendous opportunity for
new corporate partnerships and places USF in the center of innovation.”
With 90 percent of the Folger
Building currently occupied by tenants, USF’s presence in downtown will be
limited in the near term. Provost and Vice President for Academic
Affairs Jennifer Turpin, in consultation with the deans and faculty, will
finalize decisions about what academic programs will occupy the downtown space
and on what schedule. No decisions have been made yet as to what administrative
and non-academic units will be housed in the new building.
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