Built in 1966, San Francisco's Empress of China closed in 2016; 10 years later it reopened its doors

San Francisco Empress of China San Francisco's historic Empress of China building has returned to community ownership a decade after closing, following its purchase by a group formed by six leading Asian American non-profit organisations. The Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative announced the purchase of the landmark six-storey property at 838 Grant Avenue, clearing the way to turn the former banquet venue into a permanent arts and cultural campus. Built in 1966, the venue was an important gathering place for generations of Chinatown families and visitors before closing its doors in 2016. The return to community ownership was marked by a public open house called "The Empress Re-Imagined", giving residents a chance to enter the historic building for the first time in 10 years. Details about the purchase and long-term plans were published by the Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative and SF Station.Six non-profits unite for historic purchaseThe purchase was made by the Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative, an alliance formed in 2017 by six Asian American non-profit organisations. The group includes the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, the Chinese Culture Foundation of...