You have a large commercial space available for a summer in the Bay Area, with free rent and no restrictions. What kind of store or space would you create?I'd be interested in hearing both profit maximizing and community maximizing ideas.
Easy. Don't try and make a store that will turn a profit that same summer, use it to build connections. Throw a party/conference/hack-a-thon once every couple of weeks, maybe even some sort of tournament. By the end of summer, you will know everybody in your area that shares the same interest as you, and will never have problems finding work/co-workers/advisors. Those connections will be far more valuable long-term than whatever profit maximizing scheme you can think of and implement over a 2-3 month span
See if you can sell produce. I've heard amazing stories about people finding bizarre corners where folks love to buy fresh veggies and fruits... usually 90% residential.