Could shuttered San Francisco Centre mall be turned into an AI data center?
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco's shuttered downtown mall could be repurposed as an artificial intelligence hub, according to a new proposal.
A firm working with a potential buyer has inquired about permits to convert the former Bloomingdale's space at SF Centre into an AI data center.
The proposal is a partnership between K-G Growth Partners, a Maryland-based firm, and an unnamed AI lab. The proposal comes just days after San Francisco issued the temporary pause on future data center projects.
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Under the concept, public spaces on the lower floors would remain open, while technology operations would be housed upstairs.
K-G Growth Partners described the project as different from a traditional data center.
"This is not a standard data center," they said. "The vision is a living example of how AI can work with and for a community and a city... a place people can walk into, see, learn from and benefit from."
The proposal remains in its early stages. No permit application has been submitted, and the sale of the property has not been completed.
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The project also faces a potential obstacle from City Hall. Mayor Daniel Lurie recently signed a 45-day pause on approvals for new data centers while San Francisco studies their impacts.
Asked about the proposal, Lurie emphasized the city's ongoing review process.
"My team is working alongside the board of supervisors to be thoughtful about what comes next around infrastructure like this," Lurie said.
SF Centre has been closed for months after all of its stores shut down, leaving the future of the downtown mall uncertain as city leaders consider new uses for the property.
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