KQED scoured the marketplace to find a well‐funded sublessor that needed to sublease space for a short period of time. Enter the Bechtel Corporation.

While Bechtel was founded in San Francisco in 1898 as a railroad builder, it recently moved its headquarters to Reston, VA, allowing KQED the opportunity to sublease some of that vacated space. Polatnick helped secure a swing space in 50 Beale at rents of 45% less than today's rates.

Designed by the architectural team at EHDD, the newly renovated building will showcase KQED's inclusive, community‐minded and ambitious vision for the future of public media. The project is expected to cost $90 million, which includes construction and transition costs, and a budget for contingencies. The renovation project is part of Campaign 21, KQED's multi-year campaign to increase content creation capacity and fund internal innovation.

The new building will allow KQED to expand its public programming with new community spaces. And, the structure will undergo seismic upgrades with a LEED Gold certification target. Modern office and production spaces will create a workplace with maximum flexibility. The new layout will be more conducive to collaboration and can accommodate up to 40% further growth. In addition, an enhanced indoor environment will include improved lighting, thermal comfort, air quality and healthy materials.

“Community has always been at the center of KQED's mission, and is the guiding principle of the new design, which envisions an accessible building that mirrors the innovative spirit of the Bay Area,” Polatnick tells GlobeSt.com. “The glassy dynamic facade of the new headquarters reflects KQED's commitment to transparency. The lifted corner entry, the expanded new lobby and new programming spaces, including a rooftop event space, create a vibrant and welcoming place to convene, connect and engage with all that KQED does.”

Indeed, the renovation will provide community spaces including The Commons, 3,850-square-foot theater with seating for 240 to 340, a 3,000-square-foot roof terrace with a 250-person standing capacity and a 2,900-square-foot entry lobby with a 100 to 150-person standing capacity. In addition, there will be a 1,850-square-foot boardroom with 130-person lecture seating capacity featuring video capture, live streaming and video conferencing; a community meeting space and separate multi-purpose room; production/editing spaces and innovation lab with audience research space; 38 meeting and 14 phone rooms; quiet rooms and a library, GlobeSt.com learns.

Polatnick has also spearheaded securing, repurposing and/or reimagining projects with numerous buildings including 1355 Market St., 660 Third St., 99 Rhode Island, 650 Townsend and 731 Sansome. He has worked with eBay, Wired Magazine, Sega of America, Ziff‐Davis, WR Hambrecht, General Electric, Steelcase, Masco Corporation, Butterfield & Butterfield, Macromedia, the San Francisco Giants, Macrovision and Frog Designs. In addition, Polatnick has worked with other nonprofit clients, such as the Exploratorium, the California College of Arts, Affordable Housing Associates, JCC of Marin, The Walter and Elise Haas Fund, The Waldorf School and the San Francisco Art Institute.