Port Commission Approves Lease with CAST to Create City’s Largest Combined Artist Studio and Exhibition Space at Pier 29

CAST, in partnership with the Port of San Francisco, announces a groundbreaking new project at Pier 29—transforming the 100,000+ square foot waterfront site into the city’s largest open studio and exhibition space dedicated to the arts.

This newly envisioned cultural hub will house dynamic exhibitions, artist residencies, public performances, and skill-sharing events. The project will bring sustained energy and local creative presence to the Embarcadero, offering free and low-cost cultural programming for residents and visitors alike.

CAST will manage a flexible 47,000-square-foot indoor event and art space, as well as a 23,000-square-foot outdoor area overlooking the Bay. The space will be made available to other arts and community groups, and a portion will be built out as convertible space for cultural programming and events that can accommodate up to 2,500 people.

CAST’s proposal for Pier 29 also includes a partnership with Art + Water—a new artist residency program sponsored by The Hawkins Project led by author Dave Eggers and artist/educator JD Beltran—that will activate 54,000 square feet with subsidized artist studios and immersive workshops.

The Port Commission approved the project on April 22, 2025, with a projected public opening slated for January 2026. The lease deal is for a two-year activation term, which will begin following a six month construction period in which CAST plans to make improvements to the property. CAST has an option to request a two-year extension of its lease once it expires. 

CAST’s plan to convert the warehouse into a work and exhibition space for artists includes a $300,000 investment of its own funds for tenant improvements, along with a $500,000 contribution from the Port.