At 16th and Albion, a defunct laundromat turns to art

Elizabeth Lee’s parents opened B&K Launderette in the 1970s, and ran it until they sold it to family friends in the 90s. The friends kept it going till 2017, but since then the building at 3151 16th St., near Albion has sat empty. But not for much longer.

Later this month, Lee’s Launderette, a new art space, will occupy the space.

“What was once a laundromat is now becoming a stage, a classroom, and a canvas for the neighborhood,” said Alice Woo, a friend of Lee’s and a co-founder of the new space.

While Lee plans to eventually sell the building, the city’s vacancy tax and her parent’s memory pushed her to be creative.

Instead of paying the tax, she wanted to create a space paying tribute to her parent’s hard work and to the Mission District, the neighborhood where she grew up. It will