History
The San Francisco Chronicle has made its home at 5th and Mission streets for nine decades. Since 1924, the site has marked a transition from downtown to Mid-Market and SoMa’s eclectic mix of uses, which continues today at 5M.
“This is the
first great building west
of Chicago to
be designed
expressly for
newspaper
production
on modern factory principles.”
Where Creativity
and Industry Meet
The Chronicle Building
The newly constructed San Francisco Chronicle building at 5th and Mission, 1924.
Creativity
A part of the Chronicle’s newsroom operation.
Industry
Newspapers were packaged together on the
second-floor mailroom.
Maturing
Downtown
The Chronicle building’s downtown area has come to include an eclectic mix of neighbors and uses, from the high-rise financial district to the Powell Street station. Each of these has contributed to a vibrant downtown, with a mix of people and activities.
Transamerica
Pyramid
Transamerica Pyramid under
construction, 1971.
BART Construction
Powell Street BART Station under construction, 1969.
Moscone Center
Moscone Convention Center (and later, Yerba Buena Gardens) under construction, 1980.
–Photo Credit: Clarence Towers
New
Opportunities
By 2008, the Chronicle building had vacant office space and was surrounded by underutilized parking lots. The Hearst Corporation engaged Forest City to help imagine what to do next with the site.
Chronicle Building
Chronicle building and surrounding lots in recent years.
50%
of the
4-acre
site is
parking
lots
Rethinking
The Building
After a series of conversations and workshops with local stakeholders, as well as with growing and mature companies, Forest City decided to first repurpose and reuse the Chronicle site as it was.
We interviewed about 70 people in community focus groups, and talked to 45 local organizations. These
discussions helped us to develop project principles promoting openness and activity at the site.
Developing
Partnerships
We retooled newly available space in the San Francisco Chronicle building and surrounding buildings. We made partnerships and tested new ideas — for working, for art, and for connecting to the neighborhood. Looking to the site’s cross streets for inspiration, we named this endeavor the 5M Project.
A portrait of the neighborhood around 5th, 6th, and Mission streets, by Intersection for the Arts
artist-in-residence Wendy Macnaughton.
From 1
organization
to 9 - featuring arts, making,
business incubation & community service.
