Ghirardelli Square (former Ghirardelli Chocolate Works)

Ghirardelli Square occupies the former Ghirardelli chocolate manufacturing complex on the north waterfront, with industrial buildings dating to the late 19th century. In the 1960s the site was converted into a public square and retail complex in one of the United States' early large-scale adaptive reuse projects. The redevelopment preserved the brick factory facades and historic infrastructure while repurposing them for commercial and public use.