Kevin Truong

Sarah Wright

Based on social media rumblings, it seems like there’s a big appetite for converting now-empty San Francisco office buildings into housing. Using the Covid-induced vacancies to help solve the city’s housing affordability crisis and meet state mandates to plan for more than 80,000 new units appears to be a no-brainer.

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<p>Based on social media rumblings, it seems like there’s a big appetite for converting now-empty San Francisco office buildings into housing. Using the Covid-induced vacancies to help solve the city’s housing affordability crisis and meet state mandates to plan for more than 80,000 new units appears to be a no-brainer.</p>

But while San Francisco’s downtown core appears rife with opportunity, with <a href="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/San-Francisco-Office-Figures-Q1-2022-FINAL_O4v7.pdf">a record 24%</a> of office space currently vacant—particularly within San Francisco’s bread-and-butter industry, tech—the city’s planning department currently has no pending applications for downtown office-to-housing conversions.

<p>But while San Francisco’s downtown core appears rife with opportunity, with <a href="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/San-Francisco-Office-Figures-Q1-2022-FINAL_O4v7.pdf">a record 24%</a> of office space currently vacant—particularly within San Francisco’s bread-and-butter industry, tech—the city’s planning department currently has no pending applications for downtown office-to-housing conversions.</p>

Turning offices into homes may seem like an obvious solution to the city’s housing crisis—<a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/elon-musk-twitter-san-francisco-hq-takeover/">Elon Musk even jumped into the fray</a> with a (presumably tongue-in-cheek) pitch to turn Twitter’s headquarters into a homeless shelter—but longtime housing developer Oz Erickson cautions that it’s not so simple.&nbsp;

<p>Turning offices into homes may seem like an obvious solution to the city’s housing crisis—<a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/elon-musk-twitter-san-francisco-hq-takeover/">Elon Musk even jumped into the fray</a> with a (presumably tongue-in-cheek) pitch to turn Twitter’s headquarters into a homeless shelter—but longtime housing developer Oz Erickson cautions that it’s not so simple.&nbsp;</p>

<strong>Behind the Scenes of a Successful Conversion&nbsp;</strong>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-behind-the-scenes-of-a-successful-conversion"><strong>Behind the Scenes of a Successful Conversion&nbsp;</strong></h2>


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<h2 id="h-behind-the-scenes-of-a-successful-conversion"><strong>Behind the Scenes of a Successful Conversion&nbsp;</strong></h2>

Erickson is chair of the San Francisco-based development firm Emerald Fund. His company’s 400-foot, 418-unit tower at 100 Van Ness is the most significant project in the last decade to successfully convert downtown office space into housing.&nbsp;

<p>Erickson is chair of the San Francisco-based development firm Emerald Fund. His company’s 400-foot, 418-unit tower at 100 Van Ness is the most significant project in the last decade to successfully convert downtown office space into housing.&nbsp;</p>

“It takes a really special building and you have to be willing to give up the current rent of the office space,” said Erickson. “We had an excellent skeleton and it was still quite costly, but way cheaper then than it would be now. It’s hard for me to believe anything pencils nowadays.”

<p>“It takes a really special building and you have to be willing to give up the current rent of the office space,” said Erickson. “We had an excellent skeleton and it was still quite costly, but way cheaper then than it would be now. It’s hard for me to believe anything pencils nowadays.”</p>

Erickson has built thousands of units across the city over his career, but the conversion posed its fair share of unique challenges. For one, the development team had to remove the massive stone facades that encased the former headquarters of the California State Automobile Association.&nbsp;

<p>Erickson has built thousands of units across the city over his career, but the conversion posed its fair share of unique challenges. For one, the development team had to remove the massive stone facades that encased the former headquarters of the California State Automobile Association.&nbsp;</p>

On the plus side for Erickson, the building’s relatively high standard of construction made it an attractive candidate for conversion. And, by reusing an existing structure, the Emerald Fund was able to skirt height limits for residential buildings and fit more units into the project, which raised their profit margin.

<p>On the plus side for Erickson, the building’s relatively high standard of construction made it an attractive candidate for conversion. And, by reusing an existing structure, the Emerald Fund was able to skirt height limits for residential buildings and fit more units into the project, which raised their profit margin.</p>

<strong>Where’s the City in All This?</strong>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Where’s the City in All This?</strong></h2>


<h2><strong>Where’s the City in All This?</strong></h2>

When it comes to conversion projects, it’s not the city’s planning process that’s getting in the way. Dan Sider, chief of staff at the San Francisco Planning Department, said a conversion with no complicated exemptions—an optimistic but not unrealistic scenario—wouldn’t even require a planning hearing and could take as little as three to six months to secure approvals. And even those requiring exemptions don’t face many added hurdles.

<p>When it comes to conversion projects, it’s not the city’s planning process that’s getting in the way. Dan Sider, chief of staff at the San Francisco Planning Department, said a conversion with no complicated exemptions—an optimistic but not unrealistic scenario—wouldn’t even require a planning hearing and could take as little as three to six months to secure approvals. And even those requiring exemptions don’t face many added hurdles.</p>

“The process through our office is fairly straightforward,” Sider said. “The controls are actually set up very well to accommodate housing in the downtown core.”

<p>“The process through our office is fairly straightforward,” Sider said. “The controls are actually set up very well to accommodate housing in the downtown core.”</p>

Jason Ward, a RAND Corporation economist who has studied the feasibility of commercial-to-residential conversions also pointed to an added advantage, particularly in a market like San Francisco: less community opposition.&nbsp;

<p>Jason Ward, a RAND Corporation economist who has studied the feasibility of commercial-to-residential conversions also pointed to an added advantage, particularly in a market like San Francisco: less community opposition.&nbsp;</p>

“It’s a lesser issue than we’re going to knock down these single-family homes and build a 60-unit building,” Ward said. “It’s already there, it usually has parking and it looks more or less the same as it did before.”

<p>“It’s a lesser issue than we’re going to knock down these single-family homes and build a 60-unit building,” Ward said. “It’s already there, it usually has parking and it looks more or less the same as it did before.”</p>

Case in point, developers of The Pacific in Pacific Heights were able to build a 76-unit condo building in a neighborhood with a history of anti-development activism by adapting a former medical office building.&nbsp;

<p>Case in point, developers of The Pacific in Pacific Heights were able to build a 76-unit condo building in a neighborhood with a history of anti-development activism by adapting a former medical office building.&nbsp;</p>

<strong>Why Aren’t Conversions Happening?</strong>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Why Aren’t Conversions Happening?</strong></h2>


<h2><strong>Why Aren’t Conversions Happening?</strong></h2>

Here’s the big “why not” when it comes to office-to-housing conversions: Gutting a building and rebuilding the inside as housing is expensive, especially in San Francisco and especially while construction costs are high.&nbsp;

<p>Here’s the big “why not” when it comes to office-to-housing conversions: Gutting a building and rebuilding the inside as housing is expensive, especially in San Francisco and especially while construction costs are high.&nbsp;</p>

Asking rents for downtown commercial leases have dropped around 15% from pre-pandemic peaks, but haven’t dipped further because of the relatively long lease terms signed by commercial tenants, as well as market optimism that the return to office will continue at a gradual pace.&nbsp;

<p>Asking rents for downtown commercial leases have dropped around 15% from pre-pandemic peaks, but haven’t dipped further because of the relatively long lease terms signed by commercial tenants, as well as market optimism that the return to office will continue at a gradual pace.&nbsp;</p>

Essentially, the city and the market aren&#8217;t convinced that empty offices downtown are here to stay.

<p>Essentially, the city and the market aren't convinced that empty offices downtown are here to stay.</p>

<p>Essentially, the city and the market aren&#8217;t convinced that empty offices downtown are here to stay.</p>

“People would need to believe that office uses are going away,” said Louis Cornejo, president and CEO of Urban Group Real Estate. “You talk to 10 people you get 10 different comments. Are we really going to take a chance on our economy based on: ‘Well, it worked for a year or two?’”&nbsp;

<p>“People would need to believe that office uses are going away,” said Louis Cornejo, president and CEO of Urban Group Real Estate. “You talk to 10 people you get 10 different comments. Are we really going to take a chance on our economy based on: ‘Well, it worked for a year or two?’”&nbsp;</p>

What gets built and what doesn’t comes down to a calculation of dollars and cents. The first issue that’s nearly always raised in discussions about office conversions is seismic retrofitting, which can quickly multiply construction costs.&nbsp;

<p>What gets built and what doesn’t comes down to a calculation of dollars and cents. The first issue that’s nearly always raised in discussions about office conversions is seismic retrofitting, which can quickly multiply construction costs.&nbsp;</p>

Older buildings would have to be gutted entirely. As compared to office space, housing requires more kitchens and bathrooms—and the plumbing and power that comes with them. And then there’s city code that requires that every apartment look out onto an open area and include access to open space like a deck or a rooftop. In the case of 100 Van Ness, the designers added a common rooftop for residents to use. These modifications, Sider said, can be difficult to achieve.

<p>Older buildings would have to be gutted entirely. As compared to office space, housing requires more kitchens and bathrooms—and the plumbing and power that comes with them. And then there’s city code that requires that every apartment look out onto an open area and include access to open space like a deck or a rooftop. In the case of 100 Van Ness, the designers added a common rooftop for residents to use. These modifications, Sider said, can be difficult to achieve.</p>

“Most modern office buildings would require a tremendous amount of work,” Sider said.

<p>“Most modern office buildings would require a tremendous amount of work,” Sider said.</p>

In some cases, adaptive reuse projects turn into money pits as developers open up the building and find structural issues, environmental damage and other challenges in bringing older buildings up to code. The <a href="http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/as-rents-soar-brockman-aims-for-luxury-market/article_9fc8af34-8b40-11e1-ad29-0019bb2963f4.html">Brockman Lofts conversion</a> in downtown Los Angeles, for example, saw its budget balloon from $16 million to $40 million and took seven years to complete.&nbsp;

<p>In some cases, adaptive reuse projects turn into money pits as developers open up the building and find structural issues, environmental damage and other challenges in bringing older buildings up to code. The <a href="http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/as-rents-soar-brockman-aims-for-luxury-market/article_9fc8af34-8b40-11e1-ad29-0019bb2963f4.html">Brockman Lofts conversion</a> in downtown Los Angeles, for example, saw its budget balloon from $16 million to $40 million and took seven years to complete.&nbsp;</p>

Trey Clark, the head of U.S. investments for Chinese developer Vanke, said the conversion process to residences also leads to less usable square footage because of the addition of corridors and other living spaces.&nbsp;

<p>Trey Clark, the head of U.S. investments for Chinese developer Vanke, said the conversion process to residences also leads to less usable square footage because of the addition of corridors and other living spaces.&nbsp;</p>

<strong>The Other Case for Conversion</strong>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Other Case for Conversion</strong></h2>


<h2><strong>The Other Case for Conversion</strong></h2>

But the considerations of how and whether to rebuild downtown should not be strictly financial, and there are clear benefits to such projects beyond housing, said RAND’s Ward. There is also an environmental and social case for adaptive reuse projects that should be weighed by policymakers thinking through how—or if–they should incentivize these projects, he said.&nbsp;

<p>But the considerations of how and whether to rebuild downtown should not be strictly financial, and there are clear benefits to such projects beyond housing, said RAND’s Ward. There is also an environmental and social case for adaptive reuse projects that should be weighed by policymakers thinking through how—or if–they should incentivize these projects, he said.&nbsp;</p>

These include the environmental benefits of constructing more housing closer to job centers and the desire to activate the city’s downtown core into a more vibrant neighborhood with a greater mix of uses.&nbsp;

<p>These include the environmental benefits of constructing more housing closer to job centers and the desire to activate the city’s downtown core into a more vibrant neighborhood with a greater mix of uses.&nbsp;</p>

In order to tip the scales toward conversions, experts say developers would need to buy into a new vision of the future of downtown in the post-Covid world. It doesn’t appear the city is pivoting in that direction. Over the past few months, Mayor London Breed has made <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/return-to-office-sf-london-breed-google/">bringing workers back downtown</a> a key part of her economic recovery strategy.&nbsp;

<p>In order to tip the scales toward conversions, experts say developers would need to buy into a new vision of the future of downtown in the post-Covid world. It doesn’t appear the city is pivoting in that direction. Over the past few months, Mayor London Breed has made <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/return-to-office-sf-london-breed-google/">bringing workers back downtown</a> a key part of her economic recovery strategy.&nbsp;</p>

“In a way the effect of Covid on real estate prices has yet to fully play out. It’s going to be a while until we see what happens when people start trying to sell these buildings off or if they can’t bring in long-term leases,” Ward said. “In the long term these things will make a more favorable environment for (conversions) but it hasn’t happened as quickly as I might have expected initially.”

<p>“In a way the effect of Covid on real estate prices has yet to fully play out. It’s going to be a while until we see what happens when people start trying to sell these buildings off or if they can’t bring in long-term leases,” Ward said. “In the long term these things will make a more favorable environment for (conversions) but it hasn’t happened as quickly as I might have expected initially.”</p>

<strong>Some Spaces are Better Than Others</strong>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Some Spaces are Better Than Others</strong></h2>


<h2><strong>Some Spaces are Better Than Others</strong></h2>

So what structures would be the best candidates for conversion? Class A office spaces like Salesforce Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid are generally considered to be out of the question because of market demand and the high existing revenue they bring in.&nbsp;

<p>So what structures would be the best candidates for conversion? Class A office spaces like Salesforce Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid are generally considered to be out of the question because of market demand and the high existing revenue they bring in.&nbsp;</p>

That leaves lower-rise, older and less valuable offices with ideal characteristics like modern seismic safety engineering, repetitive floorplates and a narrow and rectangular form that makes it easier to meet light and air requirements for housing.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>That leaves lower-rise, older and less valuable offices with ideal characteristics like modern seismic safety engineering, repetitive floorplates and a narrow and rectangular form that makes it easier to meet light and air requirements for housing.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

While it hasn’t been tried yet in San Francisco, Sider said perhaps the best projects for office-to-housing conversions in terms of design may be group housing—dorm-like buildings where residents share kitchens and common space—because their layouts mirror many current office plans and expensive elements, like plumbing and electricity, may not have to be reconfigured entirely.&nbsp;

<p>While it hasn’t been tried yet in San Francisco, Sider said perhaps the best projects for office-to-housing conversions in terms of design may be group housing—dorm-like buildings where residents share kitchens and common space—because their layouts mirror many current office plans and expensive elements, like plumbing and electricity, may not have to be reconfigured entirely.&nbsp;</p>

“That works more from an infrastructure perspective—whether it pencils is another question,” Sider said.

<p>“That works more from an infrastructure perspective—whether it pencils is another question,” Sider said.</p>

Those projects tend to be affordable housing. That’s specifically where San Francisco is <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/housing-shell-game-supes-latest-actions-set-to-slow-new-housing-as-state-mandate-looms/">falling behind in its state housing target</a>. But Sider said it’s even less likely developers would pursue affordable housing projects for costly conversions because they tend to be less profitable.

<p>Those projects tend to be affordable housing. That’s specifically where San Francisco is <a href="https://sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/housing-shell-game-supes-latest-actions-set-to-slow-new-housing-as-state-mandate-looms/">falling behind in its state housing target</a>. But Sider said it’s even less likely developers would pursue affordable housing projects for costly conversions because they tend to be less profitable.</p>

<strong>Setting an Example in SoCal</strong>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Setting an Example in SoCal</strong></h2>


<h2><strong>Setting an Example in SoCal</strong></h2>

For a model of how it could promote these sorts of projects, San Francisco would do well to look south. Los Angeles passed an Adaptive Reuse Ordinance in 1999 that was responsible for helping to build some 14,000 units in the city’s downtown core over two decades by streamlining approvals, removing minimum parking requirements and putting into place alternative building codes.&nbsp;

<p>For a model of how it could promote these sorts of projects, San Francisco would do well to look south. Los Angeles passed an Adaptive Reuse Ordinance in 1999 that was responsible for helping to build some 14,000 units in the city’s downtown core over two decades by streamlining approvals, removing minimum parking requirements and putting into place alternative building codes.&nbsp;</p>

Ward noted a few structural factors that set Los Angeles up for a massive wave of conversions, including a ready supply of largely moribund and distressed commercial buildings downtown left by companies moving to more newly constructed buildings.

<p>Ward noted a few structural factors that set Los Angeles up for a massive wave of conversions, including a ready supply of largely moribund and distressed commercial buildings downtown left by companies moving to more newly constructed buildings.</p>

The rules put in place by the city, including relaxed egress standards in the case of fires and <a href="https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/lamc/0-0-0-179725">loosened building requirements</a> around seismic retrofitting, meant “a lot of buildings that would have been unaddressable became more feasible,” he added.&nbsp;

<p>The rules put in place by the city, including relaxed egress standards in the case of fires and <a href="https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/lamc/0-0-0-179725">loosened building requirements</a> around seismic retrofitting, meant “a lot of buildings that would have been unaddressable became more feasible,” he added.&nbsp;</p>

Since then, Los Angeles has proposed an even easier building process to open up more candidates for conversion, removing minimum and average unit size requirements and even exempting certain eligible projects from additional fees. But, like in San Francisco, costs are the biggest barrier.&nbsp;

<p>Since then, Los Angeles has proposed an even easier building process to open up more candidates for conversion, removing minimum and average unit size requirements and even exempting certain eligible projects from additional fees. But, like in San Francisco, costs are the biggest barrier.&nbsp;</p>

As a point of comparison, the average per unit cost in Los Angeles for new housing is around $580,000, one of the highest marks in the state. In San Francisco, that number has breached $700,000.

<p>As a point of comparison, the average per unit cost in Los Angeles for new housing is around $580,000, one of the highest marks in the state. In San Francisco, that number has breached $700,000.</p>

“These conversions are such a potentially risky process financially that seeing them flourish is probably going to require San Francisco to adopt policies like Los Angeles’ to reduce the uncertainty around costs and timelines,” Ward said.&nbsp;

<p>“These conversions are such a potentially risky process financially that seeing them flourish is probably going to require San Francisco to adopt policies like Los Angeles’ to reduce the uncertainty around costs and timelines,” Ward said.&nbsp;</p>

<strong>Slow-Going State Solutions</strong>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Slow-Going State Solutions</strong></h2>


<h2><strong>Slow-Going State Solutions</strong></h2>

Clark, of Chinese developer Vanke, pitched a California version of New York’s 421a affordable housing program as another potential incentive to promote housing development. The policy provides a property tax exemption that lasts for 15 to 25 years to developers who build multifamily residential housing.

<p>Clark, of Chinese developer Vanke, pitched a California version of New York’s 421a affordable housing program as another potential incentive to promote housing development. The policy provides a property tax exemption that lasts for 15 to 25 years to developers who build multifamily residential housing.</p>

There is some work being done at the state level. In California, state officials are trying to ease the pathway for turning underused commercial property into housing.&nbsp;

<p>There is some work being done at the state level. In California, state officials are trying to ease the pathway for turning underused commercial property into housing.&nbsp;</p>

Legislation introduced by East Bay State Sen. Bob Wieckowski, would essentially enshrine Los Angeles’ adaptive reuse policy into state law and prohibit a city or county from imposing various requirements on an adaptive reuse project. The bill, <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1369">SB 1369</a>, also includes a provision to require statewide building standards to facilitate the development of adaptive reuse projects.

<p>Legislation introduced by East Bay State Sen. Bob Wieckowski, would essentially enshrine Los Angeles’ adaptive reuse policy into state law and prohibit a city or county from imposing various requirements on an adaptive reuse project. The bill, <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1369">SB 1369</a>, also includes a provision to require statewide building standards to facilitate the development of adaptive reuse projects.</p>

Gov. Gavin Newsom also added $100 million in his proposed 2022-23 state budget for adaptive reuse incentive grants that would remove the cost barriers to repurposing commercial and other buildings as housing, with a particular focus on downtown areas.&nbsp;

<p>Gov. Gavin Newsom also added $100 million in his proposed 2022-23 state budget for adaptive reuse incentive grants that would remove the cost barriers to repurposing commercial and other buildings as housing, with a particular focus on downtown areas.&nbsp;</p>

Sider said the city’s “hands are tied” on most of the controls that could make building cheaper—like tax incentives or abatements—due to Proposition 13, an amendment to the state constitution that reassesses property when new construction happens. But even if the state were to help, Sider said, government intervention can only go so far.&nbsp;

<p>Sider said the city’s “hands are tied” on most of the controls that could make building cheaper—like tax incentives or abatements—due to Proposition 13, an amendment to the state constitution that reassesses property when new construction happens. But even if the state were to help, Sider said, government intervention can only go so far.&nbsp;</p>

“This is one of those things where I think the government has limited powers to cause this to happen,” Sider said. “It really is a function of the dollars and cents here. And construction costs and building typologies are not supportive, at least right now, of these types of conversions.”

<p>“This is one of those things where I think the government has limited powers to cause this to happen,” Sider said. “It really is a function of the dollars and cents here. And construction costs and building typologies are not supportive, at least right now, of these types of conversions.”</p>

<strong>Necessity Breeds Invention</strong>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Necessity Breeds Invention</strong></h2>


<h2><strong>Necessity Breeds Invention</strong></h2>

If the city’s hands are truly tied in controlling building costs, as they say, there may be an opportunity for intrepid entrepreneurs to take on the challenge.&nbsp;

<p>If the city’s hands are truly tied in controlling building costs, as they say, there may be an opportunity for intrepid entrepreneurs to take on the challenge.&nbsp;</p>

San Francisco seed-stage startup Kit Switch is aiming to lower the construction costs for conversion projects by pre-building flexible panels with kitchen and bathroom appliances for quick assembly on site. CEO Armelle Coutant said the inspiration behind Kit Switch was to enable existing structures to be more adaptable to changing needs.&nbsp;

<p>San Francisco seed-stage startup Kit Switch is aiming to lower the construction costs for conversion projects by pre-building flexible panels with kitchen and bathroom appliances for quick assembly on site. CEO Armelle Coutant said the inspiration behind Kit Switch was to enable existing structures to be more adaptable to changing needs.&nbsp;</p>

The company offers upfront pricing for its kits, which cut down on potential cost uncertainties and overruns. It is currently working with Habitat for Humanity in Los Angeles to explore the possibility of turning smaller commercial buildings into affordable housing using the company’s components.&nbsp;

<p>The company offers upfront pricing for its kits, which cut down on potential cost uncertainties and overruns. It is currently working with Habitat for Humanity in Los Angeles to explore the possibility of turning smaller commercial buildings into affordable housing using the company’s components.&nbsp;</p>

Kit Switch has yet to have a project in San Francisco, but said they are in conversations with the city’s planning department on how it can potentially utilize their products. As the city stays in its holding pattern waiting to see how Covid and the market shake out, Coutant and her colleagues are building for a future they see as inevitable.

<p>Kit Switch has yet to have a project in San Francisco, but said they are in conversations with the city’s planning department on how it can potentially utilize their products. As the city stays in its holding pattern waiting to see how Covid and the market shake out, Coutant and her colleagues are building for a future they see as inevitable.</p>

“We are at an inflection point in terms of adaptive reuse, especially emerging from the pandemic as people realize this is an important strategy for the Covid-19 economic recovery and for addressing our housing deficit,” Coutant said.

<p>“We are at an inflection point in terms of adaptive reuse, especially emerging from the pandemic as people realize this is an important strategy for the Covid-19 economic recovery and for addressing our housing deficit,” Coutant said.</p>

Turning downtown offices into housing isn’t the solution you think it is

Christina Campodonico

Nick Veronin

John Vochatzer says the “Weird Lady,” a <a href="https://brokeassstuart.com/2021/01/14/artist-you-should-know-calamity-fair/">googly-eyed, pink-headed</a> boogeywomen that’s become a familiar sight around town, was meant to express “grievances with private property” and “challenge ideas of what public art should be.”&nbsp;

<p>John Vochatzer says the “Weird Lady,” a <a href="https://brokeassstuart.com/2021/01/14/artist-you-should-know-calamity-fair/">googly-eyed, pink-headed</a> boogeywomen that’s become a familiar sight around town, was meant to express “grievances with private property” and “challenge ideas of what public art should be.”&nbsp;</p>

Now, he wants his new gallery in the Tenderloin to reimagine what an art gallery should be–and who it should serve.

<p>Now, he wants his new gallery in the Tenderloin to reimagine what an art gallery should be–and who it should serve.</p>

Whether or not you’ve ever noticed the Weird Lady, she has almost certainly seen you. Vochatzer, working under his street artist moniker, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/calamityfair/?hl=en">Calamity Fair</a>, spent a number of years wallpapering the city with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/09/magazine/how-to-wheat-paste-posters.html">wheat paste cutouts</a> of the now-ubiquitous icon.

<p>Whether or not you’ve ever noticed the Weird Lady, she has almost certainly seen you. Vochatzer, working under his street artist moniker, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/calamityfair/?hl=en">Calamity Fair</a>, spent a number of years wallpapering the city with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/09/magazine/how-to-wheat-paste-posters.html">wheat paste cutouts</a> of the now-ubiquitous icon.</p>

Weird Lady is Watching You | Art by Calamity Fair/John Vochatzer


<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Calamity-Fair.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-14442" width="391" height="446"/><figcaption>Weird Lady | Art by Calamity Fair/John Vochatzer</figcaption></figure></div>


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<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Calamity-Fair.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-14442" width="391" height="446"/><figcaption>Weird Lady | Art by Calamity Fair/John Vochatzer</figcaption></figure></div>

In that time, the veteran street artist has watched as guerilla muralists in cities all over the country—including his own—have made the curious transformation from gritty <a href="http://www.metroactive.com/features/Girafa-South-Bays-Banksy.html">countercultural heroes</a> to <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/art-is-the-new-real-estate-amenity">luxury apartment marketing assets</a>.

<p>In that time, the veteran street artist has watched as guerilla muralists in cities all over the country—including his own—have made the curious transformation from gritty <a href="http://www.metroactive.com/features/Girafa-South-Bays-Banksy.html">countercultural heroes</a> to <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/art-is-the-new-real-estate-amenity">luxury apartment marketing assets</a>.</p>

Vochatzer, however, has no plans to partner with any fast-casual condo developers in the near future.

<p>Vochatzer, however, has no plans to partner with any fast-casual condo developers in the near future.</p>

Instead, he has parlayed his hard-earned clout into <a href="https://www.mothbelly.org/">Moth Belly Gallery</a>, which he and fellow street artist, KT Seibert (aka<a href="https://seibot.art/"> Seibot</a>), opened on Larkin Street last month. And rather than use the new gallery space to amplify or monetize his brand, Vochatzer is taking this time to ask himself a number of pointed questions.&nbsp;

<p>Instead, he has parlayed his hard-earned clout into <a href="https://www.mothbelly.org/">Moth Belly Gallery</a>, which he and fellow street artist, KT Seibert (aka<a href="https://seibot.art/"> Seibot</a>), opened on Larkin Street last month. And rather than use the new gallery space to amplify or monetize his brand, Vochatzer is taking this time to ask himself a number of pointed questions.&nbsp;</p>

“Is street art affecting gentrification? Is it contributing to it? Is it combating it?” Vochatzer muses. “I&#8217;m just kind of trying to understand as a street artist in San Francisco what my role is in that process. That&#8217;s something that I think people need to be conscious of, especially if you&#8217;re opening a gallery in a place like San Francisco.”

<p>“Is street art affecting gentrification? Is it contributing to it? Is it combating it?” Vochatzer muses. “I'm just kind of trying to understand as a street artist in San Francisco what my role is in that process. That's something that I think people need to be conscious of, especially if you're opening a gallery in a place like San Francisco.”</p>

<p>“Is street art affecting gentrification? Is it contributing to it? Is it combating it?” Vochatzer muses. “I&#8217;m just kind of trying to understand as a street artist in San Francisco what my role is in that process. That&#8217;s something that I think people need to be conscious of, especially if you&#8217;re opening a gallery in a place like San Francisco.”</p>

For Vochatzer, a gallery’s “moral alignment” is at the heart of that query.

<p>For Vochatzer, a gallery’s “moral alignment” is at the heart of that query.</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-vision">A New Vision</h2>


<h2 id="h-a-new-vision">A New Vision</h2>

“Weird,” “whimsical,” and “welcoming.”&nbsp;

<p>“Weird,” “whimsical,” and “welcoming.”&nbsp;</p>

That’s the vibe that Vochatzer says he wants to foster at Moth Belly. He and Seibert got the keys to their Larkin Street gallery earlier this year. After forming a fast friendship during the pandemic, the duo leased the space in February and—after a few months of renovation and “mid-pandemic brainstorming”—hosted their first art show, “Little Utopias,”<a href="https://brokeassstuart.com/2021/10/07/moth-belly-gallery-tenderloin/?fbclid=IwAR1RWbT7nIqrMy1XtwdCj9H0KHaM3tuqoh_bzR9YWq82zhuCIv_Je8qWDoM"> featuring a lineup of all-female artists</a>, in October.

<p>That’s the vibe that Vochatzer says he wants to foster at Moth Belly. He and Seibert got the keys to their Larkin Street gallery earlier this year. After forming a fast friendship during the pandemic, the duo leased the space in February and—after a few months of renovation and “mid-pandemic brainstorming”—hosted their first art show, “Little Utopias,”<a href="https://brokeassstuart.com/2021/10/07/moth-belly-gallery-tenderloin/?fbclid=IwAR1RWbT7nIqrMy1XtwdCj9H0KHaM3tuqoh_bzR9YWq82zhuCIv_Je8qWDoM"> featuring a lineup of all-female artists</a>, in October.</p>

Now Vochatzer and Seibert are in the middle of planning <a href="https://www.mothbelly.org/2021-auction-fundraiser">their second fundraiser</a>, slated for Nov. 20, and hosting the gallery’s second exhibit, “Unmanifest,” which showcases Vochatzer’s fantastical fine art collages alongside surrealist portraits by Academy of Art University illustration instructor David Ball.&nbsp;

<p>Now Vochatzer and Seibert are in the middle of planning <a href="https://www.mothbelly.org/2021-auction-fundraiser">their second fundraiser</a>, slated for Nov. 20, and hosting the gallery’s second exhibit, “Unmanifest,” which showcases Vochatzer’s fantastical fine art collages alongside surrealist portraits by Academy of Art University illustration instructor David Ball.&nbsp;</p>

A pair of visitors to the Moth Belly Gallery look at a work by Academy of Art University illustration instructor David Ball | Photo by Camille Cohen


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Mothbelly-Gallery-01.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-14370"/><figcaption>A pair of visitors to the Moth Belly Gallery look at a work by Academy of Art University illustration instructor David Ball | Photo by Camille Cohen</figcaption></figure>


“He&#8217;s the artist who I feel complements my work the most out of everybody in the Bay Area,” Vochatzer says of Ball. “We both kind of work in the same surrealist, fantasy-slash-abstract figurative style.”

<p>“He's the artist who I feel complements my work the most out of everybody in the Bay Area,” Vochatzer says of Ball. “We both kind of work in the same surrealist, fantasy-slash-abstract figurative style.”</p>

<p>“He&#8217;s the artist who I feel complements my work the most out of everybody in the Bay Area,” Vochatzer says of Ball. “We both kind of work in the same surrealist, fantasy-slash-abstract figurative style.”</p>

The exhibit also stands as something of an inflection point for Vochatzer as he moves from being an artist known for collages and wheat pastes into his new role as “co-parent” to a gallery and community-driven art space.&nbsp;

<p>The exhibit also stands as something of an inflection point for Vochatzer as he moves from being an artist known for collages and wheat pastes into his new role as “co-parent” to a gallery and community-driven art space.&nbsp;</p>

Vochatzer explains that he is devoting one show to his back catalog because, well, it’s his gallery, after all. But, he adds, “Unmanifest” is also about getting his own work “out of the way,” so he can focus on promoting and exhibiting other artists.&nbsp;

<p>Vochatzer explains that he is devoting one show to his back catalog because, well, it’s his gallery, after all. But, he adds, “Unmanifest” is also about getting his own work “out of the way,” so he can focus on promoting and exhibiting other artists.&nbsp;</p>

“I&#8217;ve cut out those images too many times,” he says of motifs like the Weird Lady’s three lidless eyes and brainy hairdo. “I felt like I was falling into the trap of self-branding or logo art, which was never my intention.”

<p>“I've cut out those images too many times,” he says of motifs like the Weird Lady’s three lidless eyes and brainy hairdo. “I felt like I was falling into the trap of self-branding or logo art, which was never my intention.”</p>

<p>“I&#8217;ve cut out those images too many times,” he says of motifs like the Weird Lady’s three lidless eyes and brainy hairdo. “I felt like I was falling into the trap of self-branding or logo art, which was never my intention.”</p>

While the pieces currently on display at Moth Belly will be familiar to those who have followed Vochatzer’s work as Calamity Fair, the artist has been producing far more paintings and illustrations recently.

<p>While the pieces currently on display at Moth Belly will be familiar to those who have followed Vochatzer’s work as Calamity Fair, the artist has been producing far more paintings and illustrations recently.</p>

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVlUYr4PVxx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by John Vochatzer (@calamityfair)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

He says he is intent on making Moth Belly a space that actively engages with the Tenderloin community he’s called home for 18 years. In his mind, the gallery is not only a space to feature the work of fellow artists, but also a platform to help them grow creatively, collaborate, and actively share their talents. Having worked in “weird, dungeon-y little rooms and basements” throughout his career, he’s excited to have a “proper facility with a lot of space” that he and his fellow artists don’t have to evacuate for 48 hours after spray painting or working with resin.&nbsp;

<p>He says he is intent on making Moth Belly a space that actively engages with the Tenderloin community he’s called home for 18 years. In his mind, the gallery is not only a space to feature the work of fellow artists, but also a platform to help them grow creatively, collaborate, and actively share their talents. Having worked in “weird, dungeon-y little rooms and basements” throughout his career, he’s excited to have a “proper facility with a lot of space” that he and his fellow artists don’t have to evacuate for 48 hours after spray painting or working with resin.&nbsp;</p>

“I&#8217;ve always used the analogy of artists are kind of like reptiles,” Vochatzer&nbsp; says. “If you keep them in a bigger terrarium, they&#8217;re going to grow. &#8230; The more space, the more you can do, the more you can grow. So that&#8217;s kind of the hope and the agenda.”

<p>“I've always used the analogy of artists are kind of like reptiles,” Vochatzer&nbsp; says. “If you keep them in a bigger terrarium, they're going to grow. ... The more space, the more you can do, the more you can grow. So that's kind of the hope and the agenda.”</p>

<p>“I&#8217;ve always used the analogy of artists are kind of like reptiles,” Vochatzer&nbsp; says. “If you keep them in a bigger terrarium, they&#8217;re going to grow. &#8230; The more space, the more you can do, the more you can grow. So that&#8217;s kind of the hope and the agenda.”</p>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="keeping-sf-weird-9d7c93f3-13c5-45e1-b977-6b066c55f64d">Keeping SF Weird</h2>


<h2 id="keeping-sf-weird-9d7c93f3-13c5-45e1-b977-6b066c55f64d">Keeping SF Weird</h2>

Vochatzer and Seibert plan to showcase “transgressive and emerging artists” who might not otherwise be featured in traditional galleries, as well as local and traveling artists from their circle of friends and creatives. They also intend to host art workshops, pop-ups and events where the entire art and Tenderloin community is welcome.&nbsp;

<p>Vochatzer and Seibert plan to showcase “transgressive and emerging artists” who might not otherwise be featured in traditional galleries, as well as local and traveling artists from their circle of friends and creatives. They also intend to host art workshops, pop-ups and events where the entire art and Tenderloin community is welcome.&nbsp;</p>

“We want to be a doors-open gallery,” Vochatzer says. “We don&#8217;t want to be the type of gallery to turn people away. If somebody from the street wants to just walk in and look at art, we don&#8217;t want to discourage anybody from coming in and participating.”

<p>“We want to be a doors-open gallery,” Vochatzer says. “We don't want to be the type of gallery to turn people away. If somebody from the street wants to just walk in and look at art, we don't want to discourage anybody from coming in and participating.”</p>

<p>“We want to be a doors-open gallery,” Vochatzer says. “We don&#8217;t want to be the type of gallery to turn people away. If somebody from the street wants to just walk in and look at art, we don&#8217;t want to discourage anybody from coming in and participating.”</p>

Art by John Vochatzer (aka Calamity Fair) | Photo by Camille Cohen


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://content.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Mothbelly-Gallery-05.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-14361"/><figcaption>Art by John Vochatzer (aka Calamity Fair)&nbsp;| Photo by Camille Cohen</figcaption></figure>


“I want the vibe to definitely be accessible,” adds Seibert, who has lived in the Tenderloin for almost 12 years. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want people to feel out of place, feel like they don&#8217;t belong here when they come in, just because it’s an art gallery.”&nbsp;

<p>“I want the vibe to definitely be accessible,” adds Seibert, who has lived in the Tenderloin for almost 12 years. "I don't want people to feel out of place, feel like they don't belong here when they come in, just because it’s an art gallery.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I want the vibe to definitely be accessible,” adds Seibert, who has lived in the Tenderloin for almost 12 years. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want people to feel out of place, feel like they don&#8217;t belong here when they come in, just because it’s an art gallery.”&nbsp;</p>

Vochatzer and Seibert plan to put that vision into action by making all their workshops and events donation-based, so they don’t have to turn anyone away for lack of resources. They also plan to make the artwork they feature approachable by pricing it in a range of cost levels—from a few dollars to a few thousand, depending on the scale of the work.&nbsp;

<p>Vochatzer and Seibert plan to put that vision into action by making all their workshops and events donation-based, so they don’t have to turn anyone away for lack of resources. They also plan to make the artwork they feature approachable by pricing it in a range of cost levels—from a few dollars to a few thousand, depending on the scale of the work.&nbsp;</p>

For them, accessibility also extends to small acts of kindness, like giving change to a homeless woman who wanders into the gallery, as Vochatzer does on opening night of “Unmanifest,” or simply unlocking their bathroom door for someone in need.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>For them, accessibility also extends to small acts of kindness, like giving change to a homeless woman who wanders into the gallery, as Vochatzer does on opening night of “Unmanifest,” or simply unlocking their bathroom door for someone in need.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Their gallery, which is fiscally sponsored by the nonprofit <a href="https://theintersection.org/about-intersection/">Intersection for the Arts</a>, is also built to give the artists whose work is featured at Moth Belly a higher percentage of earnings. Vochatzer would not disclose an exact number, but Seibert says their fee structure is designed to give a larger share of profits to artists and help them price their artwork fairly. The typical art gallery takes about a 50% cut of sales.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<p>Their gallery, which is fiscally sponsored by the nonprofit <a href="https://theintersection.org/about-intersection/">Intersection for the Arts</a>, is also built to give the artists whose work is featured at Moth Belly a higher percentage of earnings. Vochatzer would not disclose an exact number, but Seibert says their fee structure is designed to give a larger share of profits to artists and help them price their artwork fairly. The typical art gallery takes about a 50% cut of sales.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Ultimately, Vochatzer hopes that Moth Belly can be a torchbearer for San Francisco creative spaces that have been lost to gentrification, the pandemic or a combination of both.&nbsp;“The exodus of small and creative businesses in San Francisco—that was already bad because of the gentrification. &#8230;The pandemic seemed to be the coup de grâce for a lot of things,” he says. “People were really thirsty for places like this. A lot of them have disappeared or are on their way out.”

<p>Ultimately, Vochatzer hopes that Moth Belly can be a torchbearer for San Francisco creative spaces that have been lost to gentrification, the pandemic or a combination of both.&nbsp;“The exodus of small and creative businesses in San Francisco—that was already bad because of the gentrification. ...The pandemic seemed to be the coup de grâce for a lot of things,” he says. “People were really thirsty for places like this. A lot of them have disappeared or are on their way out.”</p>

<p>Ultimately, Vochatzer hopes that Moth Belly can be a torchbearer for San Francisco creative spaces that have been lost to gentrification, the pandemic or a combination of both.&nbsp;“The exodus of small and creative businesses in San Francisco—that was already bad because of the gentrification. &#8230;The pandemic seemed to be the coup de grâce for a lot of things,” he says. “People were really thirsty for places like this. A lot of them have disappeared or are on their way out.”</p>

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