Kink To Cease Porn Production At The Armory

Kink To Cease Porn Production At The ArmoryPhoto: Kink.com
Jack Morse
Published on January 17, 2017

It's the end of a very kinky era at the San Francisco Armory. The 103-year-old building, which since 2006 has been home to bondage-porn company Kink.com, will soon trade whips and adult-film stars for computers and office workers should company founder Peter Acworth have his way. That's because, as the Chronicle reports, Kink will cease filming pornography on-site starting next month.

“Porn is not nearly as profitable as it was,” Acworth told the paper. “We have had to change our business model.”

As such, Kink's production of film will transition off-site to presumably less expensive locations. That move will open up space in the giant building occupying the corner of 14th and Mission, but Acworth hopes it won't remain empty for long.

Partially in an effort to fund bringing the building up to code, a process which could cost as much as $20 million, the company is looking to rent out the top two floors of the building as commercial office space. At roughly 50,000 square feet, this could represent a financial boon.

That is, if Kink can get permission from the city first. The trouble stems from the recently passed Proposition X, which requires building owners to replace space zoned for production, distribution, and repair if it is to be converted to offices. The Kink property in question is zoned for PDR.

Thankfully for Acworth, he has a friend in Supervisor Jane Kim. Under legislation introduced by Kim, historic buildings such as the Armory would be exempt from Prop K. The Planning Commission is set to vote Thursday on the measure.

But even if Kim's bill doesn't become law, the Armory pornography film shoots are still on their way out—heading to the warmer pastures of Nevada and Southern California. And with the recent opening of the Drill Court as a 4,000-person entertainment venue, it's not like Acworth is at a loss for what to do with the property.

Besides, with local tech giant Airbnb planning to hold an event there next month, the Armory is well on its way to eschewing its former adults-only image for a more polished and tech-friendly look—a fact that, even while necessary, clearly bums Acworth out just a little.

“It’s a little sad,” he told the Chronicle. “It’s the end of an era.”