The Fillmore Heritage Center at 1330 Fillmore has been empty for over a year, and the City is now stepping in to help find a new tenant owner for the 28,000-square-foot space. In late January, a formal Request for Interest was released, and an open house on Monday, Feb. 8th will be led by D5 Supervisor London Breed.

First, some background, for those who are new to the saga. 

1330 Fillmore, otherwise known as The Fillmore Heritage Center, was constructed with a $5 million loan to San Francisco developer Michael Johnson. The Fillmore Heritage Center houses the former site of Yoshi’s, the current site of 1300 on Fillmore, and an underground garage with 112 parking spaces. 

At the same time that the building was being constructed, Yoshi's, an Oakland-based sushi and jazz spot, garnered $7.2 million in loans from The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency to open in the space, launching its first San Francisco location. 

In total, more than $18 million in city funds was spent building the Fillmore Heritage Center, according to the New Fillmore.

One of the bars in former Yoshi's (Photo: Architecture & Light)

While visions were ambitious, the timing was bad. Yoshi's rent was $45,000 a month, and though business was initially good, the economy collapsed shortly after the center opened. When Yoshi's went bankrupt in 2012, the entire package crumbled. (For a more comprehensive overview, The New Fillmore wrote an excellent review of the struggles from start to finish.)

Since Yoshi's left, only one tenant has occupied the larger space. The Addition, a jazz club, operated in the space from July to October 2014, before officially calling it quits the following January due to financial hardship. 

Yoshi's Dining Room, as seen from the second floor (Photo: Architecture & Light)

All this brings us to the present day. No tenant currently occupies the space, and the status of the loans rendered is unclear. With this in mind, the City has intervened with a formal Request for Interest.

"The City is committed to ensuring that the Property emerges as a vibrant and financially viable commercial venue, such as an entertainment venue, that provides substantial and sustained benefits to the Fillmore corridor and the Western Addition community," reads the Request. In particular, the city is encouraging creative or community-focused business, such as performing arts, media or recreation, to apply for the space. 

Yoshi's stage (Photo: Amber Rae/Flickr)

On Monday, Feb. 8th, Supervisor Breed will be hosting an informational meeting about the space, in collaboration with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. Interested parties can swing by 1330 Fillmore at 5:30pm for a tour of the property, before the meeting begins at 6:30pm. 

The deadline for submissions of interest is March 4th. We keep you posted as to what the future holds for the large performance space.