Church of Scientology Buys Historic Sacramento St. Site
The $2.1 million deal for the 1909 building signals a new phase of renovation for the Financial District property.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Commercial
Live Poll
Should religious organizations be permitted to purchase historic commercial buildings in your community?
The Church of Scientology has acquired the 1909 office building at 650 Sacramento St. for $2.1 million. The purchase adds a new property to the organization’s portfolio, which already includes a local headquarters just blocks away at 701 Montgomery St.
Why it matters
The sale marks the conclusion of a multi-year effort by the seller, Brick & Timber Collective, to divest the historic site. The Church intends to renovate the property to expand its local capacity, though significant seismic and structural work remains to be done before the building can be occupied.
The Church of Scientology acquired the 650 Sacramento St. property for $2.1 million, down from the $2.5 million the seller previously paid for the 1909 building. The scale and duration of the necessary seismic and structural renovations remain to be determined.
The players
Church of Scientology
An organization that operates a local headquarters at 701 Montgomery St.
Brick & Timber Collective
The commercial real estate group that sold the building after struggling with renovation costs.
The details
The transaction closed on October 26, 2026, ending a long period of uncertainty for the aging structure. The organization plans to preserve the historic character of the building while undergoing a complete overhaul to meet current occupancy standards. The building is famously known as the site where the city's first Jewish services were held in 1849.
Timeline
1849: The site hosted the first Jewish services in San Francisco.
1909: The building at 650 Sacramento St. was originally constructed.
October 26, 2026: The Church of Scientology finalized the purchase of the building.
Across the Bay
The acquisition of the 650 Sacramento St. building marks a new chapter for a site that has been a local landmark since it hosted the city's first Jewish services in 1849. This move follows a trend of organizations investing in historic real estate to consolidate their footprint in the Financial District.
Neighbors near the corner of Sacramento and Montgomery streets should prepare for upcoming construction activity as the new owners begin seismic retrofitting. Specific permit filings and street closure notifications will be the next indicators of how this renovation will impact local traffic.
The takeaway
The building now moves from a stalled commercial asset into a major renovation project. Watch for upcoming permits filed with the Department of Building Inspection to gauge the scale of the planned seismic and structural work.
Further reading
For more on the local property market, see Commercial.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The San Francisco Standard.
Live Poll
Should religious organizations be permitted to purchase historic commercial buildings in your community?
