The Wells Fargo bank at 1 Montgomery Street is seen on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo by Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO – Imagine a vibrant, thumping rooftop concert scene atop a historic building in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District.
This vision could become a reality and could transform the vibe of the downtown area, if a proposal by prominent San Francisco music label Empire is approved.
What we know:
Empire has submitted an application to San Francisco Planning for a project which would allow an event venue atop its building at One Montgomery Street, on the corner of Montgomery and Post streets.
The striking landmark, with its regal Tuscan columns and sprawling street corner real estate, was formerly known as the Wells Fargo building.
The property was purchased by Empire earlier this year, reportedly for about $25 million.
The renovation application was submitted on Monday, according to the city’s planning department, which said it could take a few months to determine if the project is approved.
Dig deeper:
According to the application, Empire is proposing a plan to make the rooftop “available for a flexible range of programming to host public events, community-driven programming and other third party-sponsored activations.”
Empire said the rooftop venue would primarily be operated as private space, and the project specifically sought to mitigate security issues by closing off open public access to the roof to allow the space to hold industry events.
The document noted the high-profile clientele as part of heightened security concerns.
“Continued public access to the roof may result in uncontrollable crowds, threats of violence to individuals and destruction of property,” the application explained, adding, “With the removal of public access to the roof, Empire can invest in delivering optimal public and private outcomes.”
Food and beverage destination
In addition to changes to rooftop access, the proposal seeks to make renovations at the street level, creating an area for food and beverage venues that would bring foot traffic to the area and offer an opportunity for the public to access the historic space.
“Empire proposes to convert the south banking hall into a full service food and beverage destination,” the project description said. “This will give residents and visitors of San Francisco a unique opportunity to enjoy the preserved architecture of the banking hall interior in a modern setting, while supporting restaurant operators and their employees.”
Architectural history
The project acknowledged the historical significance of the building which brought with it responsibilities as well as challenges and limitations.
“One Montgomery Street reflects the city’s rich architectural and economic history. Following the departure of its last major tenant in 2018, the building has sat vacant for years. Despite its historic significance and central location, the cost and complexity of renovating and repositioning the space for modern uses proved prohibitive for many potential users,” the application noted.
It went on to say those challenges and regulations to preserve the historical aspects of the building left it unused for many years.
“One Montgomery Street reflects the city’s rich architectural and economic history,” the application noted. “Empire acquired One Montgomery with a long-term vision and the capacity to make the substantial capital investment required to bring it back to life.”
The music company said it has the resources to revitalize the area while keeping in mind preservation goals.
“Empire is uniquely capable of delivering a powerful combination of additional employee foot traffic, diversifying the city’s industry base as the country’s largest independent music label, distribution and publishing company, and supporting ground-floor retail activation while preserving a historic landmark,” the application said.
The backstory:
The record label’s clientele includes superstar talents including Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, Snoop Dogg and Shaboozey.
Founder and San Francisco native Ghazi Shami launched Empire in 2010, with the company rising to prominence as it placed itself at the forefront of the digital music scene.
“This company is as much a software company as it is a music company,” Shami was quoted as saying in a Grammy news article.
Loyal to his SF roots
The CEO has credited much of his approach and success to his San Francisco roots and the Bay Area culture from which he comes.
“I’m a product of my environment,” Shami was quoted as saying in the Grammy article. “This company wouldn’t exist if I wasn’t born and bred in the Bay; in S.F. and Silicon Valley,” he told the Recording Academy.
And Shami has demonstrated his deep loyalty to his city by building his empire here.
“It’d be a disservice to the roots, to the origin, to everything that I stand for if this company wasn’t firmly planted or rooted here.”
Investing in San Francisco
Shami’s investment in the city has been displayed in other ways and has fallen in line with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s vision for revitalization.
Last week, Shami joined the mayor to announce a free concert will be held in the city’s Civic Center on Sept. 13 to celebrate Empire’s 15 years in business.
SEE ALSO: SF Concerts set to get underway for 60th anniversary of The Grateful Dead
The concert will headline Shaboozey, a Billboard-topping artist who has worked closely with Shami and his record label.
Mayor’s support
Mayor Lurie has expressed his excitement and support for Empire’s partnership in investing in San Francisco, including the company’s new plans for a rooftop venue in the city’s Financial District.
In a statement released to KTVU, Lurie’s office said, “When government provides safe and clean streets, we empower entrepreneurs to put their creativity to work for San Francisco. And Ghazi’s vision for a brand new event venue and office at One Montgomery, backed by real investment and years of unshakeable commitment to San Francisco, is exactly the kind of forward thinking that will take our city to new heights.”
Taking the city to new heights is an action that the San Francisco-built music giant has expressed confidence in being able to do.
“Empire itself has a long track record of fully subsidizing and activating public space all over San Francisco and fully intends to do the same within its new premises,” the project application stated.
