Overview
Located a block and a half from the Powell Street BART station, the historic Dempster Building at 447 Minna Street is a remnant of a bygone era when South of Market was an industrial district filled with printing presses, repair shops, and warehouses.
Built in 1907, it first served as a printing facility before being acquired by the Hearst Corporation to be used as a photo archive and test kitchen.
As present-day 447 Minna, CAST has reimagined the space as a dedicated cultural center and intimate performance venue hosting arts and cultural events, workshops, pop-ups, and community activities. Adding to the legacy of cultural spaces that have long anchored the SoMa neighborhood, 447 Minna will provide a home for artists and culture bearers to dream and be fearless—a place to create, connect, and be inspired.
Our Approach
In 2015, CAST was approached by the 5M Project and started discussions with its developer, Brookfield Properties (then Forest City), around forming a partnership to develop the historic Dempster Building for arts and culture uses. Given SoMa’s long history of displacement, specifically in the Filipino community, coupled with the Bay Area’s increasingly expensive real estate prices, CAST saw a role to play—create a community gathering space promoting arts and culture to build connection and inclusion.
As part of a community benefits agreement with the City of San Francisco, Brookfield Properties donated the 10,200-square-foot space situated at the epicenter of the 5M development to CAST in 2019. CAST leveraged the multi-million dollar building, fundraised for renovations and tenant improvements starting March 2020, and after nearly two years, opened to the public in March 2022 as a multi-tenant community space.
Impact
For many groups, carving out the space to dream doesn’t involve purchasing their home. Through 447 Minna, CAST removes the pressure and responsibilities of ownership so artists and residents can focus on what matters most—their practice and being in community.
CAST engaged with community members and neighboring cultural districts, SoMa Filipinas and the Leather and LGBTQ District, to ensure 447 Minna met the needs of its neighbors. Additionally, CAST’s Dreaming Spaces initiative activated a comprehensive Community Design process to inform the design of the second floor space.
With office space on the upper floors, 447 Minna’s ground floor provides access to shared facilities for gatherings, programming, and event uses, including a fully-equipped modern black box theater, state-of-the-art conference room, and access to an outdoor stage at the Parks at 5M.
447 Minna served as CAST’s home base from 2022 until 2026, allowing CAST to ensure operations were stable as tenants adjusted to the building’s model.
Tenants include visionary arts nonprofits PUSH Dance Company and Women’s Audio Mission (WAM) whose programs have long served the San Francisco community with dance and music education, respectively. 447 Minna’s ground floor performance space is utilized by the critically-acclaimed San Francisco Neo-Futurists, an improvisational theater group who creates inclusive, accessible performances, and community events are stewarded by Brave New Spaces, a nonprofit arts, culture, and workforce development organization committed to diversifying the events and hospitality industry.
