About this Event
Join us for the official Grand Opening of Zero Empty Spaces Berkeley, our first California location and a new community-focused retail arts marketplace in the heart of Downtown Berkeley.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2026
5:00–8:00 PM
OFFICIAL RIBBON CUTTING AT 6:00 PM
ZERO EMPTY SPACES BERKELEY
Former Half Price Books storefront
2036 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
Admission is free and open to the public. RSVP is encouraged.
ABOUT THE GRAND OPENING
Come celebrate the transformation of one of Downtown Berkeley’s most visible formerly vacant storefronts into a dynamic destination for local art, creativity, retail entrepreneurship, and community connection.
Explore individual retail spaces and curated installations featuring local artists, makers, designers, independent brands, and creative businesses. Meet the people behind the work, discover original artwork and locally created goods, and experience how the former Half Price Books storefront is being reimagined as a vibrant new hub for creativity, commerce, and community.
The evening will include an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6:00 PM, along with opportunities to meet participating creatives, explore the marketplace, shop locally created work, and learn how to become part of this growing creative community.
WHAT TO EXPECT
• Official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6:00 PM
• Meet local artists, makers, designers, and creative entrepreneurs
• Explore individual retail spaces and curated installations
• Shop original artwork, handcrafted goods, prints, apparel, books, home goods, and locally created products
• Connect with Berkeley’s creative community
• Learn about opportunities to participate in the marketplace
• Experience the transformation of the former Half Price Books storefront
• Celebrate a new destination within Downtown Berkeley’s Addison Arts District
SPACE IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
Zero Empty Spaces Berkeley is actively welcoming additional artists, makers, designers, independent brands, and creative businesses to join the marketplace.
The Berkeley location is being created for creative entrepreneurs who want more than visibility online. It is designed for those seeking an affordable, professional, physical space where their work can be discovered, experienced, and purchased by the public.
Participants can benefit from:
• Affordable monthly participation rates
• A professional retail environment in the heart of Downtown Berkeley
• Greater exposure to customers, collectors, visitors, and community stakeholders
• Opportunities for direct sales and meaningful public engagement
• Participation in events, activations, and collaborative programming
• Connections with fellow artists, makers, designers, and creative businesses
• A supportive and collaborative creative community
• Flexible participation without the burden of a traditional long-term commercial lease
Interested in joining us?
Learn more and apply for available space at:
https://ZEArtistSpaces.com/rentspace
A COLLABORATIVE BERKELEY ACTIVATION
The Berkeley marketplace is being developed through a collaboration among Zero Empty Spaces, the City of Berkeley and its Office of Economic Development, the Downtown Berkeley Association, Visit Berkeley, Gordon Commercial Real Estate Services, and Berkeley’s creative community.
Special thanks to Mayor Adena Ishii, Councilmember Igor Tregub, the City of Berkeley team, Downtown Berkeley Association, Visit Berkeley, Gordon Commercial Real Estate Services, and every artist, maker, partner, advocate, and community stakeholder helping bring this vision to life.
Together, these partners are demonstrating what becomes possible when property owners, civic leaders, downtown organizations, tourism partners, and the creative community work together to transform vacancy into opportunity.
IN THE PRESS
Berkeleyside: “Artist studios pop up at Berkeley’s empty Half Price Books”
https://www.berkeleyside.org/2026/08/11/zero-empty-spaces-downtown-berkeley-half-price-books
SFGATE: “Berkeley: Closed bookstore to become community art and shopping space”
https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/berkeley-closed-bookstore-to-become-community-22370565.php
Next City: “Using Vacant Commercial Spaces as Affordable Artist Studios Is a Win-Win”
https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/using-vacant-commercial-spaces-as-affordable-artist-studios-is-a-win-win
ABOUT ZERO EMPTY SPACES
Zero Empty Spaces is a nationally recognized creative placemaking and vacancy-activation initiative that transforms underutilized commercial properties into affordable studios, creative workspaces, retail opportunities, and community destinations.
Over the past seven years, Zero Empty Spaces has activated more than 35 locations across six states and welcomed more than 1,000 artists into its programs.
The model helps artists and creative entrepreneurs gain affordable space, professional visibility, customer access, stability, community, and new opportunities for sustainable growth. At the same time, it helps property owners, cities, downtown districts, and community partners bring foot traffic, economic activity, cultural energy, and productive use back into otherwise idle commercial spaces.
The Berkeley activation builds on that experience while introducing a retail-centered marketplace model created specifically for Downtown Berkeley. It represents a new approach to connecting creativity, entrepreneurship, commercial vacancy, and downtown revitalization.
Learn more about Zero Empty Spaces:
https://www.zeroemptyspaces.com
Questions or partnership inquiries:
Event venue & nearby stays
Zero Empty Spaces #35 - Berkeley, 2036 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.