SF receives over $8 million for street mall renovation project
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(KRON) — Over the last ten years, San Francisco city planners have been attempting to turn a pedestrian walkway into an outdoor street mall. Today, the proposed street mall stands as more of a kid’s playground.
On Wednesday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that the city received $8.1 million in federal funding for the Buchanan Street Mall renovation project in the Western Addition neighborhood.
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Some of the additions to the rather minimal street mall include a performing stage, seating areas, a picnic and barbecue area, multiple other playgrounds, an adult exercise area, and a half-court for sports.
Buchanan Street Mall stretches five consecutive blocks between Eddy and Grove Street in the Western Addition. Construction on the project is anticipated to begin this fall.
Renovation of two of the five blocks was supported by a $3.9 million Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) grant awarded in 2022, with the additional $8 million grant on Wednesday.
As someone who grew up in the Western Addition, I know how special this community is for so many including me, and I am especially thankful for this funding that will bring enhancements to an outdoor space for neighbors and residents to enjoy. By creating spaces for creativity, play, and intergenerational connection, we are providing spaces and opportunities for generations to come. I thank President Biden and our federal partners for their support to make San Francisco even more vibrant and equitable.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed
The Buchanan Street Mall Project was originally conceived in 2015. The project’s original design also includes a flexible open plaza, a community garden, and a “Memory Walk” that incorporates art to tell the stories of the neighborhood once known as “the Harlem of the West.”
The project is a partnership between the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, Citizen Film, Green Streets, The Trust for Public Land, the Exploratorium’s Studio for Public Spaces, Success Centers, the African American Art and Culture Complex, and the San Francisco Parks Alliance.
The Buchanan Mall in the Fillmore is a very special car-free space in our City that has long needed some love and investment. Supporting the community-led effort to improve the Buchanan Mall as a car-free community space has been a top priority for my office since day one, and we’re proud to have partnered with community and city leaders to secure federal, state, and local funding. We could not be more excited to move this project forward.
San Francisco Board Supervisor Dean Preston
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