Designed by architect George W. Kelham and completed in 1924, the building has been a prominent landmark of the Financial District for 89 years. Purchased by private developer Bently Holdings in 2005, the building was renovated to meet contemporary environmental standards, and is LEED Silver® Core and Shell. The upper floors are leased to several prominent San Francisco businesses, while the ground and mezzanine floors are used as a renowned conference center and special event space.
Building History
Located at 301 Battery Street in San Francisco, California,
the Bently Reserve is the former San Francisco Federal Reserve.
The Old Federal Reserve
The San Francisco Federal Reserve was designed by George W. Kelham, a prominent San Francisco architect who led the conservative wing of the San Francisco architectural establishment; the building opened its doors in 1924. The Bently Reserve features a prominent Beaux-Arts Ionic Colonnade paired with an Art-Deco style that serves as one of the early incantations of the fashionable Streamline Moderne style of the late 1920s and early 30’s. Inside, the Banking Hall was designed in a temple style, and features murals by Jules Guerin, the artist who created the palette for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition.
The Federal Reserve did business here for nearly sixty years until it relocated in 1983 to 101 Market Street. The 400 Sansome Street location was sold to private developers, and leased mainly as office space until 1998, when Boston Properties began leasing the Banking Hall for private events in addition to the office space. In 2004 the law firm Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe moved out of the building, leaving it essentially vacant until Bently Holdings purchased it from Boston Properties in April 2005.
The Reserve Today
Currently, the buildingʼs upper floors are leased to prominent tenants such as Smith Group, the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the Energy Foundation. In 2009, the Energy Foundationʼs offices at the Bently Reserve were recognized with the first LEED Platinum® Commercial Interiors project in San Francisco. At the time they were one of only 13 offices worldwide to achieve this standard.
The lower floors of the Bently Reserve are rented for special events, business meetings, and conferences. These spaces represent one of San Franciscoʼs greenest special event venues, as well as some of the West Coastʼs most acclaimed spaces. The building is also included in the National Register of Historic Places, and is and one of San Franciscoʼs significant cultural landmarks.