CMAC Acquires Empress of China Building!

San Francisco’s Historic Empress of China Building to Gain New Life as the anchor of Cultural Campus for Chinatown 

On April 1, 2026, The Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative (CMAC) announced the purchase of the historic Empress of China building, one of the most iconic landmarks in San Francisco and Chinatown. This major acquisition followed the organization’s purchase of its first site, 800 Grant Ave, which houses Edge on the Square.

The landmark building will be the cornerstone of a community-led cultural campus in the heart of Chinatown, adding to the vibrancy and economic recovery of San Francisco. Chinatowns across America tell the story of immigrants building community, opportunity, and democracy in this country. The Empress of China building gives us a powerful place to continue telling those stories, uplift our narrative, build cultural power to shape how people understand history, and dream about our collective future.

“At a time when immigrants are being targeted and separated from our families and communities, it’s more important than ever to build cultural infrastructure as our direct response to erasure, speculative real estate and neighborhood identity,” said Mabel Teng, CMAC’s co-executive director. “The purchase of the Empress of China Building powers an expanded vision of community ownership, bringing hope and fortitude to immigrant communities longing for a place to call home.”​

“Since the 1850s, San Francisco’s Chinatown - the oldest and most vibrant in the nation - has served as an epicenter for community leadership building and belonging,” said Vincent Pan, Founding board member and Vice Chair of CMAC. “The community-owned purchase of the iconic Empress of China Building is an opportunity to thread our community’s past, present, and future to ensure Chinatown remains a place where all our stories are told and aspirations realized.