Elsie Green Will Open Downtown Store October 17
The furniture shop moves into One Embarcadero Center through the city’s Vacant to Vibrant program.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Elsie Green, an existing furniture shop currently in Concord, will open a new location at One Embarcadero Center on October 17. The expansion is part of the city's Vacant to Vibrant program, which aims to fill storefronts in the downtown core.
Why it matters
The program seeks to energize downtown San Francisco by providing small businesses with funding and permitting support to inhabit vacant spaces. It remains to be seen how many of these pop-up participants will follow the lead of the ten businesses that have already signed long-term leases.
The Vacant to Vibrant program has placed 30 businesses into downtown spaces since its 2023 launch, with 23 currently open. Of those, ten have secured long-term leases.
The players
Elsie Green
A furniture store owned by Laurie Cain Furber that is expanding from its existing location in Concord.
SF New Deal
The local organization that manages the Vacant to Vibrant program.
BXP
The company that owns the Embarcadero Center complex.
The details
Owner Laurie Cain Furber is bringing inventory gathered in France to the new One Embarcadero Center space following an introductory process facilitated by SF New Deal. The initiative provides financial and permitting assistance to help businesses transition into downtown storefronts. SF New Deal is currently pursuing further fundraising to expand the program to additional neighborhoods across the city.
Timeline
The Vacant to Vibrant program launched in 2023.
October 17, 2026, is the scheduled opening date for the new store.
Across the Bay
This opening follows the established pattern of the Vacant to Vibrant program, which has placed over 30 businesses into downtown storefronts since 2023. It continues the city's efforts to revitalize vacant spaces following the model that has already supported 23 other active locations.
Shoppers can visit the new storefront at One Embarcadero Center starting October 17. The expansion brings new retail options to the downtown complex as part of an ongoing effort to fill vacancies.
The takeaway
The program demonstrates how public-private partnerships aim to bring new life to empty downtown real estate. Residents can track the success of these storefronts by observing how many participants like Elsie Green commit to long-term leases beyond their initial placement.
Further reading
For more on new shops coming to the neighborhood, visit Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The San Francisco Standard.
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Should city governments provide financial support to attract small businesses into vacant downtown spaces?
