Even in a city that prioritizes its parks, simply finding a large plot of undeveloped land in our 7x7 is quite a feat. As a San Francisco parent, I know how important a new park is to the daily lives of children growing up in a city.

 

That’s why the work being done on Francisco Park is so exciting. This 4.5-acre plot of land on the corner of Bay and Hyde was previously a reservoir for the city. In 1940, the reservoir was moved up the hill, and this massive plot of land lay vacant. Cue the developers! While it has been a long journey to secure this land as a public park, you can get the play-by-play here, what you need to know is that the neighbors prevailed!  The project took off in 2012, and now this working group is in the home stretch of fundraising, planning on opening Francisco Park THIS YEAR having raised $26.5M to date with $1 million remaining to reach the final fundraising goal. There are still many opportunities to honor a family member or pay tribute to a loved one and be part of this exciting project: Take the Next Step.

 

“As a San Francisco citizen and parent, I am thrilled to see the transformation of this site, which has sat dormant for so long, to a public park providing additional green space for our city.  This park will provide an amenity for all of San Francisco with its natural features, views, and open space.  I am particularly excited about the new children’s playground and main lawn, where I can envision my family watching the blue angels or fireworks on the fourth of July,” said Board Member Charlotte DeHaven Giovanni.

 

Check out this video above to understand more about the development, and the plans for opening this Fall. The reason this park is coming into existence is because of SAN FRANCISCANS! It’s our NEIGHBORS who came together to ensure that generations of city-dwellers to come would have a beautiful park to play and relax in and it was NOT easy. Please take a moment to check out the team who have spent decades putting this together. Congratulations and THANK YOU to these San Franciscans who went beyond themselves to give their time and resources to make our city a better place for all.