SF building owners try city’s pop-up program to activate retail space

San Francisco city leaders can now add pastry-themed drag shows to the list of creative strategies they are willing to try to revitalize downtown. This week the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and nonprofit SF New Deal unveiled the first round of vendors and nonprofits for its Vacant to Vibrant pop-up program, kicking off with a weekend of events. 

Seventeen businesses were chosen out of more than 900 applicants to receive free rent for three- to six-month “activations” in empty retail spaces in five downtown buildings. The companies also will receive assistance in navigating the leasing and permitting process, and startup grants of $3,000 to $8,000, according to the OEWD. The first round of the program, which is part of Mayor London Breed’s Roadmap to San Francisco’s Future, has a total budget of $710,000 and includes outreach to property owners as well as matching owners with a local artist, retailer, cultural organization or small business that would occupy their space. 

The main goals of the program are both immediate activation of the empty storefronts as well as possible long-term new tenancies, according to OEWD Executive Director Sarah Dennis Phillips. 

“We hope it will lead to long-term leases and economic impact, particularly for our small business sector; but in the meantime, we want people to experience and enjoy Downtown,” she said. 

Some owners reached out to the city, rather than the other way around. Swig Vice President of Asset Management Stacia Keisner said as a San Francisco-based company, the owner and developer jumped at the chance to be involved after hearing about the program. 

“We believe pop-ups do a great job of contributing to the vibrancy of downtown by activating the streetscape and not just the building,” she said.

The company offered up a retail space in its historic Mills Building in the Financial District that had been vacant since office supply and camera store Ricoh left in 2020. For the next three months, the once-empty space will host NPR member station KALW, whose studio is usually located near McLaren Park, as well as works by artist Bee Betwee and arts nonprofit Creativity Explored. Keisner said creating a long-term tenancy with one of the groups isn’t “the primary goal of the project,” though “of course we’d be happy to talk to them.”

“Mainly, we are hoping to contribute to creating a more vibrant, activated downtown as one of a number of landlords that are contributing space as part of this program,” she said. 

The Gateway is hosting four pop-ups at two locations on Jackson Street; Pembroke is hosting two at 100 California Street; and Lincoln Properties is hosting two more at 332 Pine Street. Boston Properties has provided several suites at One Embarcadero Center and has selected mostly bakeries to fill the spots, including Devil’s Teeth, which has spots in the Outer Sunset and in the Outer Richmond and is the location for the drag show this weekend hosted by Sinn E Moan and Nia Politan. 

The Mellow will not have any pastry puns at its performance venue and plant store, but owner David Velasco said he is using the location to try out something different from his two retail locations and two barbershops. In the more than 6,000-square-foot space, which had been previously occupied by an office furniture store and has been empty since the pandemic, he will have six local makers, “curated retail” and weekly music with new artists for every concert. 

“Our mantra is that we pour out 110 percent for everything we do and this venture is no different,” he said. “Fingers crossed this will be a sustainable and vibrant concept that’ll be available longer than the pop-up period.”

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