Zero Empty Spaces, an initiative dedicated to revitalizing vacant storefronts into community spaces, plans to open an artist studio and gallery pop-up space in the former Half Price Books location in Downtown Berkeley this July as part of a larger initiative to fill vacancies downtown.
Zero Empty Spaces offers a “win-win” deal, according to Evan Snow, co-founder and managing partner of Zero Empty Spaces; it takes commercial real estate spaces and creates temporary, affordable units for artists to collaborate within a community, outside of their residences, while helping property owners maintain their buildings and create a “buzz” on social media.
“A lot of artists were coming to us saying, ‘where are studio spaces at’ … let alone (spaces that are) not in the worst part of town, where the rent is generally the cheapest,”Snow said.
This is Zero Empty Spaces’ first location in California. Originally based in Florida, the initiative, founded in 2019, has 35 locations across five states.
For the Berkeley space, Snow envisions that the studios and galleries will function as a third space in the community where residents can discover and be inspired by local artists, as well as support them financially.The artist studios are planned to be open to the public from noon to 5 p.m., as well as hosting other events such as workshops, nonprofit collaborations and potlucks.
The spaces are leased out on a temporary basis, until the property receives a permanent tenant. From there, Zero Empty Spaces works with the artists to move them to another available space.
“Downtown Berkeley is very interested in reducing the amount of vacant store fronts, and there is already conversation about us activating subsequent spaces,” Snow said.
But according to Reuel Cooke, economic development project coordinator at the city of Berkeley, implementing property owner buy-in is often easier said than done. To create affordable units, the property owner must agree to lease the space to artist groups for for little to no rent, which can pose a challenge.
Vacancy is not a new issue for Downtown Berkeley, and“difficult economic conditions, including high interest rates, tariffs, and sharply increasing construction material costs” have often contributed to stalled economic development, said District 4 Councilmember Igor Tregub in an email.
Despite the district’s own struggles filling storefront vacancies since the pandemic, recent initiatives — including the Zero Empty Spaces pop-up — may mark a turning point for the neighborhood.
According to the latest city of Berkeley economic dashboard report, the average commercial storefront vacancy percentages in Downtown Berkeley dropped to 9.7% this year, the lowest since 2021.
“Continuing this momentum, my office is currently working on … measures to enhance public safety, address long-term commercial vacancies in the downtown and throughout our commercial districts, and ensure that our downtown is on its way toward being a vibrant, accessible destination in which small businesses, the arts, and other community-serving uses can thrive,” Tregub said in an email.