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San Francisco arts community receives surprise $100M gift from anonymous benefactor

San Francisco Philanthropist Donates $100 Million for 100-Percent Affordable Artist Housing Tower.

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$100 million donation from an anonymous philanthropist has made it possible for a new affordable housing project for artists to move forward in San Francisco. The donor, revealed to be Mary Miner, the widow of Oracle co-founder Robert Miner, will fund a 16-story tower at 1687 Market Street with 102 affordable apartments reserved for artists.

    The project, developed by Artists Hub and Mercy Housing California, was initially planned as a 17-story highrise but has been scaled back to remove a hotel component. The building will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, a ground-floor cafe, an 85-seat black box theatre, and studios and practice rooms on the first three floors.

    Construction is estimated to cost $74.5 million and could start as early as December next year, with completion expected by 2027. Mary Miner's family has a history of philanthropy in San Francisco, with her children Nicola and Luke sitting on the board of the Baker Street Foundation, which donated $1 million to the San Francisco Ballet last year.

    The project is part of a larger effort to address affordable housing needs in San Francisco, where construction has dwindled to a 12-year low.

San Francisco arts community receives surprise $100 million donation from anonymous donor.