Frequently Asked Questions

Artists Community

  • Artists Hub on Market believes that keeping artists in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area is vital to keeping the rich cultural landscape of the region thriving.

    According to a 2022 study conducted by the organization Vital Arts, “There is ample data to conclude that artists in the San Francisco Bay Area are at high risk of displacement. Artists are among economically marginalized groups struggling to hold on in the competitive Bay Area real estate market, often needing several jobs to maintain housed.”

    In a 2021 study commissioned by Dancers’ Group, Intersection for the Arts, and Theatre Bay Area surveying 500 Bay Area artists, arts administrators, and arts educators 62% of respondents stressed a perennial need for affordable housing.

  • We envision a diverse and vibrant multi-disciplinary mix of artists living in the community within a holistic and broad definition of “artist.” This includes artists, production related arts and entertainment workers, arts administrators, and their families.

    We have collaborated with partner organizations and the San Francisco Arts Commission to refine a city-wide artist certification process for San Francisco. Many other cities around the country have an artist housing model and established objective selection criteria.

    In addition to the artist certification, all households must income qualify at or below 80% of San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI). For 2023 area median income for a 4 person household is $122,500. For more information on AMI levels, click here.

  • In addition to the need to provide safe, affordable, and beautiful places to live, providing safe places to create arts and culture is essential. Since the mid 2000s, the escalating commercial real estate market has left artists without places to work or showcase their work. In a recent survey of local artists, 7% of participants surveyed responded they needed studio/rehearsal space, in addition to 67% saying there was a need for theater/gallery space.

    Hearing this need from the community, the first three floors of the project will include a range of amenities for the arts community including: a black box theater; office space; practice and rehearsal space; and a cafe to serve as a place for creative exchange and gathering.

Site History

  • The site was chosen carefully by the development team after years of research and consideration. Artists Hub on Market is situated in the “Hub” neighborhood at Market and Gough streets where, in the 1920s to the 1950s, several streetcar lines merged. The project is also centrally located at the intersection of four vibrant San Francisco neighborhoods — Hayes Valley, Civic Center, the Mission District, and the Castro — and is just steps away from public transit, as well as dozens of arts organizations.

    Situated on a major pedestrian corner, this location will enable the building to serve as a hub of cultural and community activity for the neighborhood.

  • The location of Artists Hub on Market, 1687 Market Street, was the site of the McRoskey Mattress Company building. Established in San Francisco in 1899, McRoskey was one of America’s first mattress makers on the West Coast. McRoskey was the only mattress manufacturer in the city that was not destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. According to the company, they worked around the clock after the disaster to “to provide beds for those who lost their homes as the city began to rebuild and heal.”

    The McRoskey Mattress building was constructed in 1925, where the company manufactured mattress and box springs until 2010. After 2010 the building converted full time into a showroom.

    The building was a part of the Market Street Landmark Historic District, however the building itself was not designated as a historic resource.

  • One of the core objectives of the project is to provide the maximum number of affordable homes. The development and design team began with the intention of keeping the façade of the McRoskey building, however site constraints and safety issues made it clear that keeping the building would reduce the number of affordable units by 30%.

    Over many months, the development, design, and construction team thoughtfully evaluated the ability to keep the previous building. The unreinforced masonry walls required extensive shoring and restoration that would take valuable and finite resources away from the creation of deed-restricted affordable housing.

    Ultimately, choosing to demolish the existing building enabled the construction of a better project: one that provides a greater number of affordable homes and artist amenities without introducing additional risk to the budget.

  • The development and design teams are working to honor and celebrate the history of the McRoskey Mattress Company and well as the structure itself. Ideas in consideration include photographic documentation of the McRoskey Building inside of the lobby of Artists Hub on Market, commemorative signage, and other visual storytelling.

  • The McRoskey Mattress Company relocated their operations to another building.

Technical Questions

  • The building was entitled under AB 2011: The Affordable Housing and High Road Job Act of 2022. Assembly Bill 2011 (AB 2011) provides for streamlined approvals and in some cases increased height limits and relaxed density limits to projects that commit to on-site affordable housing and workforce commitments. AB 2011 was signed by Governor Newsom on September 28, 2022, and became effective July 1, 2023.

    AB 2011 is a ministerial approval process, meaning that approval uses fixed or objective standards. Ministerial projects are not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) or conditional use authorization or other similar discretionary review or entitlements under the Planning Code. AB 2011 requires the ministerial approval of eligible 100% affordable housing developments located on sites where office, retail or parking are principally permitted.

  • Artists Hub on Market is made possible by a transformative, anonymous philanthropic gift, and as stewards of those funds we take seriously our shared goal of delivering the greatest number of affordable units possible. We are committed to providing this affordable housing for San Francisco artists so that, as vital contributors to the vibrant cultural life of this city, they are finally able to both live and work in the place they call home.

    This generous gift works in conjunction with other funding sources to realize the construction and completion of this building.

  • The building is 150 feet, with 17 total floors. This height beyond the base zoning is allowable under AB 2011 and the State Density Bonus Law.

  • The building is in one of the most transit-rich areas of San Francisco. Due to this amazing proximity from MUNI Metro, MUNI buses, and BART there is no on-site car parking. We are planning to include a loading zone next to the building’s entrance on Gough Street.

    There will be over 100 indoor bicycle parking spaces for residents as well as a separate indoor bike room for building staff. There will be on-street bike parking for visitors.

Prospective Residents

  • We collaborated with partner organizations and the San Francisco Arts Commission to refine a city-wide artist certification process for San Francisco that we expect to launch in late 2026. Many other cities around the country have an artist housing model and established objective selection criteria.

    Please check back for updates!

  • Currently there will be a range of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom unit types. The approximate average sizes of these units are:

    Studio: 350 sq ft
    One-Bedroom: 500 sq ft
    Two-Bedroom: 780 sq ft

  • Mercy Housing Management Group (MHMG) will be the management agent for the property and is committed to providing quality property management services that reinforce the philosophy that all residents deserve respect, dignity, and a place to call home. Staffing ratios will be determined as plans are further developed.

    Currently, MHMG manages a total of 328 affordable housing developments nationwide, 148 properties in California, and 48 properties in San Francisco. Much of the San Francisco portfolio has been managed since the early 1990s.