By early next year, 8 10th St.—a long-vacant retail space on the ground floor of the NEMA apartment complex—will officially launch as the corporate events center Gantry.

CEO Hans Koch says Gantry specializes in "experiential marketing, conversations and innovation discovery.” The company plans to work with a variety of brands and industries—including fashion, technology, food and entertainment—using its flexible 8,800 square-foot space to showcase their offerings in immersive environments.

The space will serve as an all-purpose "urban center," Koch says, available to host a wide variety of events, like debuting products, introducing up-and-coming artists, fashion shows and more. A stage setup is available for theatrical events and speakers, and a media kitchen will allow local and celebrity chefs to display their menus.

Before dividing into corporate events, Koch's career has spanned retail management and development. He moved to San Francisco as the portfolio manager of JMB Retail Properties, which over saw regional and national retail companies in the early 90's before being consolidated by Urban Retail Properties, LLC. He later served as the CEO of Owners.com, an online real-estate services company, before moving into real estate development.

Leading up to its grand opening early next year, the unfinished space has been the backdrop for TEDx San Francisco and Silicon Valley Fashion Week.

And while Gantry is a corporate events center, Koch stressed that it will also serve as a community space. "Nonprofits and community organizations are a big part," says Koch. "By supporting arts and local groups, we can help them gain awareness and new participants."

As for what kind of public events are in store for community, Koch says neighbors will have to wait and see. "That's our surprise to San Francisco."

Koch is considering opening other spaces similar to Gantry in the future, but has no concrete plans for expansion just yet. At this point, he is feeling at home in the NEMA building and says that the residents and nearby technology companies, like Uber, Twitter and Square, have all been supportive.

"We hope to become the place that the city and the neighborhood comes to explore, relax, meet up with friends, and walk away with an experience they want to share," he said.

Organizations looking for more information on booking Gantry for an upcoming event can email [email protected].