Warfield Commons Opens Above the Warfield on Market Street With 11 Arts and Media Tenants

The office building above the Warfield theater on Market Street has a new identity and a full roster of tenants. Warfield Commons, at 988 Market St., held its public grand opening on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with 11 arts and media organizations and artists now working in the building. Its owners, the public radio station KALW and the nonprofit Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST), say the space is about 90 percent occupied.

Who’s in the Building

KALW Public Media is the anchor tenant, taking the eighth and ninth floors for new studios, according to the San Francisco Standard. CAST’s event listing names KALW’s space the People’s Studio. CAST has its own floor. Other tenants named by the Standard include the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, Psyched! Radio SF (a DIY radio station and music festival producer), puppeteer Ramon Abad, and the independent outlet Coyote Media. At street level is Mi Cocina, a kitchen goods shop and wine bar.

The Standard reports that the owners plan space for up to 40 more independent media creators. Warfield Commons’ own site lists podcast studios, a newsroom, classrooms, artist studios and meeting rooms, and offers short-term rentals.

How the Deal Came Together

KALW and CAST bought the building in February 2025, per Warfield Commons. The owners raised $16 million in an initial capital campaign from investors and philanthropy, Hoodline and the Standard both report, and the Standard says they are seeking another $10 million. Hoodline adds that financing includes below-market loans from Community Vision Capital & Consultants and a Kenneth Rainin Foundation guaranty for a KALW bridge loan.

“We all work well together,” CAST managing director Carolyn Choy told the Standard.

What It Means for Mid-Market

The Standard’s headline point is that none of the new tenants are tech companies. Warfield Commons describes itself as affordable, permanent space for artists and media workers in a century-old building, and its opening party brought in the Tenderloin Community Benefit District and the Mid-Market Business Association as partners, per CAST. The building sits directly above the Warfield, the 2,300-capacity concert hall at 982 Market St.

Visiting

The building is at 988 Market St., between the Powell Street and Civic Center BART and Muni stations. For events and studio rentals, check warfieldcommons.com.

Photo: Warfield Commons.