Commission approves permit for The Village at 969 Market with modified police conditions

The San Francisco Entertainment Commission voted to approve a place-of-entertainment permit for The Village at 969 Market, a multi-level event venue, after the commission adopted modifications to police conditions and the commission’s Good Neighbor Policy.

Commissioners approved an amendment that changed the venue’s permitted hours to run from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. and struck one sentence from police condition 2; the commission also required that all third‑party promoters be registered on the Entertainment Commission’s promoter list. The motion was moved, seconded and passed with recorded ayes from the commissioners present.

The applicant team, led by Jonathan Rowe and operations lead Elaine Jennings, described The Village as roughly 17,000 square feet across three levels focused primarily on corporate events with some public programming and fundraising events. Jennings said the team had conducted outreach to neighborhood groups and service providers and submitted letters of support, including from the Central City SRO Collaborative.

Monarch (the venue’s proposed bar operator) confirmed it would initially provide alcohol under a Type 58 catering license that limits on‑site alcohol service to roughly 24 events per year while the Village pursues a full on‑site license later. A Monarch partner said, “We’ll be using a Type 58; it’s our catering license…You can do 24 events in a calendar year,” noting the team plans to apply for a broader license to expand service.

John Windsor of SIS Security outlined a security plan built from corporate-event operations: pre-event meetings with venue management and producers, posted site maps and position-identification sheets, perimeter and line management, and supervisors positioned at critical egress points. Windsor said positions would “follow the crowd” and that exit doors would be staffed to control egress.

Lieutenant Ed Santos of the SFPD ABC liaison unit acknowledged the venue is in an area with relatively high reported crime but said SFPD found the premises “pretty well put together” after a tour and conversations with the applicants. Santos told the commission the department would continue to work with the venue “to minimize calls for service and enhance public safety.”

Commissioners asked detailed questions about sound control during the hearing. Rowe described investments in more than 4,000 square feet of sound insulation and bass‑isolation approaches, including specialized underlayment under subwoofers and consulting with Meijer Sound for 3‑D sound control. He said permanent large‑scale subs would most likely be installed in the basement to limit transmission.

The commission’s decision added the registration requirement for third‑party promoters and adjusted hours to reflect the applicants’ operational plans and police input. The commission did not eliminate the department’s ability to recommend conditions; rather, it refined one condition and required promoter registration as a way to increase transparency about who is booking events.

The permit approval is effective immediately; commissioners and city staff said they will continue monitoring compliance with police conditions, the Good Neighbor Policy and the venue’s outreach commitments.