the History
2525 Sixteenth Street, known today as the Lion Building, was originally built in 1924 to house the manufacturing operations of a local syrup maker, Lyons-Magnus, which continued operations on site for decades. A rail spur ran alongside the building down Florida Street, facilitating delivery of raw materials and shipment of finished products. Some early images of the building and its operations can be seen at Lyons Magnus.
The construction of Seals Stadium, located a block away on Sixteenth Street between Bryant and Potrero, brought additional vibrancy to the area. Built for the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals and Missions, it was later home to the San Francisco Giants, until they moved to Candlestick Park after their last game at Seals Stadium in 1959. Some history of the stadium can be found at Ballparks of Baseball.
In the early 1970s, no longer in use, the building was part of the real estate portfolio of a major university when a local real estate broker brought the property to the attention of Mina Vitlin. She saw the opportunities lurking underneath the detritus of the former manufacturing operation and the subsequent decline, and worked with her business partner, Mark Ross, to acquire and then rehabilitate the building. Mrs. Vitlin lived for nearly four decades after the acquisition, and saw the building and its surroundings evolve from a gritty industrial neighborhood into a vibrant business and residential community, more than justifying the hard work and capital investment that she had spearheaded in the 1970s.
