is set to welcome a new gay after city planners approved proposals for a venue called Sanctum Baths.
The project will occupy a two-storey building at 40 12th Street, near Market Street and Van Ness Avenue. Its owner, Kevin Born, received unanimous approval from the city’s Planning Commission on 5 November, clearing a major hurdle after more than a year of delays.
Born is the chief executive of Ashbury General Contracting & Engineering, whose former headquarters occupied the site. He first announced plans for the bathhouse in June 2025, initially intending to call it The Maze or Maze S.F. He later settled on Sanctum Baths after consulting a marketing specialist.
“I can’t think of a better and more appropriate location” – Planning Commission president Amy Campbell on Sanctum Baths
The building’s frontage had complicated the application. Planning rules require commercial premises to maintain transparent, unobstructed street-facing windows, while Born wanted to provide greater privacy for customers. He had previously removed the windows without the necessary permission, prompting a planning enforcement issue that was resolved after they were reinstated.
Under the approved plans, the entrance will remain at the front of the building, with obscured but translucent glazing to protect customers’ privacy. Zoning administrator Corey Teague also agreed to grant a variance from the standard window requirements.
Planning Commission president Amy Campbell said, “I can’t think of a better and more appropriate location. I know this location very well, as I ride by it every day on my bike.”
The venue would be San Francisco’s first new gay bathhouse in more than four decades
Born must now appoint an architect to oversee the design and construction work. He has previously estimated the project could cost around $5 million.
The venue would be San Francisco’s first new gay bathhouse in more than four decades. Such establishments closed during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s, and restrictions subsequently made their return difficult.
City regulations have gradually changed in recent years. Zoning amendments introduced in 2022 allowed adult sex venues in designated areas, while a further legislative change in 2024 repealed police code provisions that prohibited locked private rooms and required bathhouse operators to maintain registers of customers.
Despite those changes, planning requirements concerning street-facing windows remained an obstacle for the Sanctum Baths proposal. The commission’s decision now allows the project to proceed towards its next stage.
When is Sanctum Baths in San Francisco set to open?
Born is targeting a late 2027 opening, although the timetable will depend on the remaining architectural work, construction and permitting.