San Francisco Centre mall eyed for AI data center conversion

KG Growth Partners, a Maryland-based financial advisory firm, has inquired with San Francisco officials regarding the potential conversion of the shuttered San Francisco Centre mall into an artificial intelligence data center. The proposal focuses on a 350,000-square-foot portion of the property, specifically the building at 845 Market Street that formerly housed Bloomingdale’s.

According to KG Growth Partners CEO Jared Kreiger, the plan involves a mixed-use model where the ground floors remain active and open to the public, while the upper floors are reserved for technical use. The firm is reportedly working with an unidentified technology partner to explore the development of the site into an AI-controlled living space.

The inquiry comes at a time of regulatory scrutiny in San Francisco. Mayor Daniel Lurie recently signed a 45-day moratorium on the approval of new data centers to allow the Planning Department to study their impacts. The mall has faced significant challenges, including high vacancy rates and the departure of major retailers like Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.