The BDSM porn purveyor Kink.com that has been operating in the Armory Building since 2007 may soon be cracking its last whip in the Mission. It’s not leaving because of the rising cost of real estate; it’s because of the cost of producing porn.
Kink’s Porn Castle in Flux
Last week, the Planning Department released a preliminary review of a plan submitted by Peter Acworth, CEO of Kink.com and the Armory Building’s owner, that would convert the building’s production studios into office space. If approved the proposal would create more than 100,000 square feet of office space in the Civil War-era building on 14th and Mission.
In an email message to Mission Local, Acworth explained that recent and upcoming legislative changes creating stricter health regulations in adult films have made the production of hardcore pornography prohibitively expensive in California. Acworth says that he may move the production arm of Kink.com to Nevada and rent out the Armory for office use.
“The fact is that new regulations threaten to essentially criminalize the production of hardcore pornography in California,” Acworth said. “Measure B in L.A. county was just the start, and now we face AB 1576 and new draft Cal/OSHA regulations that are being proposed.”
Kink.com CEO and owner of the Armory building, Peter Acworth
[…] “The fact is that new regulations threaten to essentially criminalize the production of hardcore pornography in California,” Acworth said. “Measure B in L.A. county was just the start, and now we face AB 1576 and new draft Cal/OSHA regulations that are being …read more […]
[…] Kink’s Porn Castle May Leave SF’s Mission for Nevada […]
I doubt it will come to this in reality. It looks like more of a protest. Kink has a fortune invested in The Armory. It’s part of the whole mystique. I don’t think it could or would prove transportable to Las Vegas.
But this definitely makes a strong statement.
Rob Black predicted this a few months back. Uncanny.
Big deal. As soon as Measure B passed, tons of people predicted porn production would flee CA.
On the subject of whether or not it is legal to film adult content in Nevada, attorney Marc Randazza recently weighed in on Xbiz.com, noting the legislative history of the awful AB67 bill that became law in the state (because the so-called sex worker activists who fought it were fools like Jennifer “ecosexuality” Reed who used a ridiculous, impotent email campaign): He writes: “It is legal in Nevada. They tried to change the prostitution statute to fit adult film, and we showed up at the state assembly meeting and not only got them to change back, but the Atty. Gen.… Read more »
They though it was legal to do a live lesbian sex show in Las Vegas at XRCO back then, too…..ask Nina about the “Erotic Eleven” case sometime. It’s always legal until the cops step in with a bust.
Perhaps Mr. Randazza would like to do a test case in Nevada to leave no doubt about porn being protected speech?
Inviting the public to a live sex show is not the same as filming a scene with only cast and crew.
Anthony, I know an attorney who has acquired licenses for businesses in Vegas that are adult production studios. The govt is sanctioning adult production.