San Francisco Sun

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed, in collaboration with the Office of Economic Workforce and Development (OEWD) and program partner SF New Deal, announced the second cohort of awardees for the city's Vacant to Vibrant program. This initiative is part of the Mayor’s Roadmap to San Francisco’s Future, aimed at helping small businesses, entrepreneurs, artists, and cultural organizations activate vacant storefronts.

The expansion of Vacant to Vibrant extends to the East Cut, Financial District and Yerba Buena neighborhoods. It includes eight storefronts that will be occupied by a diverse range of small businesses, nonprofit organizations, artists, and makers. These grantees will be offered rent-free storefront space for three months starting this summer with potential lease extensions.

The inaugural cohort saw seven local businesses sign long-term leases downtown out of nine properties involved in the program. Additional grant funding and technical assistance from SF New Deal will be provided to these businesses thanks to Wells Fargo's expanded financial commitment to Vacant to Vibrant.

Mayor London Breed expressed gratitude towards SF New Deal for helping build on the momentum of this successful program. "Together through public-private partnerships, we are creating a stronger San Francisco," she said.

District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey also praised the initiative for restoring vibrancy and vitality in their community while creating opportunities for growth and connection for residents and entrepreneurs alike.

The pop-up activations were selected from over 1,200 applications through a comprehensive review process by an advisory committee comprising local business owners, artists, community-based organizations, and property owners.

Sarah Dennis Phillips, Executive Director of OEWD lauded all stakeholders who shared their vision in the Vacant to Vibrant Program. She expressed excitement about building on this momentum as they launch the next round.

Vacant to Vibrant was launched in 2023 by OEWD in partnership with SF New Deal. The latter also secured additional funding from Wells Fargo Bank, which donated $1 million to support the program.

Simon Bertrang, SF New Deal’s Executive Director, emphasized the critical role of San Francisco's unique small businesses in revitalizing downtown. Darlene Goins, head of philanthropy and community impact at Wells Fargo, echoed this sentiment.

The second cohort consists of eight primary tenant activators who may be eligible to extend their lease with the property owners at the end of the three-month period. These include Aurora Centro, Hungry Crumbs, JUMA Ventures’ Steep Creamery, Koolfi Creamery, Paper Son Coffee, 7x7 Social Club, SAINTFLORA and Public Glass Gallery.

Mayor Breed has directed over $100 million in grants and loans to support more than 6,400 awards to small businesses. Priti Narayanan, owner of Koolfi Creamery & Cafe expressed excitement about being part of the revival story of downtown San Francisco through this initiative.

Matthew Kosoy, local owner of Rosalind Bakery and a graduate from Vacant to Vibrant’s first cohort that signed a long-term lease downtown earlier this year also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the revitalization efforts.

The program received over 130 property applications offering ground floor space for pop-ups in exchange for an activated space and up to $5,000 to cover utility expenses and tenant improvements. Mike Grisso, Senior Vice President at Kilroy Realty Corporation expressed his delight at being selected for Round 2 of Vacant to Vibrant.

The city has implemented key elements of Mayor’s Roadmap by broadening transportation in the Financial District, heightening safety measures and investing in public space enhancements such as Landing at Leidesdorff. OEWD supports these revitalization measures through programs like Vacant to Vibrant that bring integral foot traffic to San Francisco’s Downtown while supporting small businesses, arts and non-profit organizations.