Downtown datacenter? AI plan floated for boarded-up San Francisco mall
Summary
San Francisco’s boarded-up San Francisco Centre mall is being considered as a site for a new AI datacenter project. The plan involves creating a public space combining AI exhibits, culture, retail, sports, and education rather than a traditional server facility, but city officials have imposed a temporary halt on new datacenter developments to study their community impact.Key Facts
- The San Francisco Centre mall has been closed and boarded up since January 2024.
- A Maryland-based firm, KG Growth Partners, is exploring AI-related redevelopment options for the mall.
- The proposed project is described as an “AI-controlled living space” featuring public areas, a rooftop garden, and spaces for culture, sports, and education.
- The firm says the project is not a traditional datacenter with large server farms but a community-focused AI exhibit.
- San Francisco’s mayor recently imposed a 45-day pause on datacenter permits to study their effects on neighborhoods.
- Local business owners near the mall report significant declines in customers and revenue since the closure.
- The AI boom in the Bay Area has brought investment to the region, but it has not yet helped businesses around the shuttered mall.
- The project aims to be environmentally friendly by recycling power and water, rather than using large amounts of energy like typical datacenters.
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