Former Potrero Hill Pot Factory Now Growing Startups

After several months of renovations, a new hardware prototyping lab and startup accelerator called Highway1 just moved into a squat concrete building on Mariposa Street. That in itself is not surprising in a neighborhood where warehouses seem to be transformed into tech and design spaces every other day. What is notable is the building's former use. As the San Francisco Business Times reports, the space was previously used as a marijuana growing operation. Architect Christiane Robbins of Metropolitan Architectural Practice told the Business Times that the prerenovation building was filled with wiring, hydroponics equipment, and venting.

Highway1 is part of international company PCH—no, not THC, we're sad too—which has offices right next door. The new space is built specifically for hardware companies going through the accelerator program, with 3-D printers and a hands-on electrical lab. The 10,000-square-foot space is now home to the 11 companies in Highway1's current accelerator class. There are now big windows and skylights, whiteboard-lined walls, a collaborative team space, and, we'd imagine, lots and lots of communal snacks.

· San Francisco Story: Pot Factory Becomes Incubator and Prototype Lab [SF Business Times]