Ghirardelli Square - Early Adaptive Reuse Project

Ghirardelli Square, redeveloped beginning in the early 1960s from the former Ghirardelli chocolate factory into a mixed-use complex of shops and restaurants, is widely cited as one of the first large-scale adaptive reuse projects in the United States. The conversion preserved the factory's brick buildings and public plaza, setting a precedent for historic preservation linked with commercial redevelopment. The site remains a distinctive example of combining heritage structures with modern urban uses.