Official Groundbreaking For Artists Hub on Market, San Francisco

The official groundbreaking ceremony has been held for the 15-story mixed-use tower at 1687 Market Street, San Francisco. The recently modified development is now expected to offer 94 affordable units for artists, a black-box theater, and a neighborhood cafe at the corner of Market and Gough Street. Mercy Housing and Randall Kline of Artists Hub on Market are joint sponsors for the project.

1687 Market Street pedestrian view, rendering by Mark Cavagnero Associates

Late last year, Artists Hub on Market, a registered non-profit and co-developer, submitted modified plans for the development, shortening the project and reducing the overall residential capacity. The modification was submitted to the city in September 2025, though the city only posted the memorandum to file in mid-May.

Now the structure is expected to reach 151 feet tall with 104,440 square feet of building area, including around 80,000 square feet of housing and 19,330 square feet for arts activities. Bicycle parking has been reduced to 110 spots. The residential units will be deed-restricted as affordable to artists and families earning around 80% of the area’s median income or less.

Mark Cavagnero Associates is responsible for the design, and Sausalito-based Shades of Green is the landscape architect. Updated illustrations for the shorter version of 1687 Market Street show some minor alterations to the overall aesthetic. The ground floor no longer includes a near-full curtainwall wrap with perforated metal solar shades, shifting instead to a smaller corner feature with floor-to-ceiling windows and solid grey panels.

1687 Market Street corner view, rendering by Mark Cavagnero Associates

1687 Market Street sidewalk view over Gough Street, rendering by Mark Cavagnero Associates

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of Arts and Culture for San Francisco, Matthew Goudeau, said, “the Arts Commission is proud to help create a pathway for artists to access stable, affordable housing through the Artist Housing Certification Program. When artists thrive, our city thrives.”

According to the Mayor’s office, “In early 2027, the city will launch its Artist Housing Certification Program to help establish an eligibility list for artists and creative workers seeking to participate in affordable artist housing lotteries, including the future housing lottery for Artists Hub on Market.”

1687 Market Street demolition progress circa February 2026, image by author

The project has been supported by an anonymous $100 million donation in late 2024, later revealed to be from Mary Miner, a philanthropist and widow of Oracle co-founder Robert Miner. With construction now underway, completion is expected by Spring 2028.

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