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Transbay Block 3 Park and Streetscape Improvement

Project Info

Block 3 Park and adjacent Clementina and Tehama alleyways are central features of the Transbay Redevelopment Project Area, which was adopted in 2005 and includes 40 acres of high-density transit-oriented housing, office space and retail in the East Cut, a new neighborhood just south of San Francisco's downtown and financial districts.

Block 3 park was first conceptualized in the Transbay Redevelopment Plan and its accompanying documents, and later in the Transbay Project Area Streetscape and Open Space Concept Plan, dated Nov. 21, 2006. Select elements of the Concept Plan have been further refined in the Transit Center District Plan, authored in 2012. The Concept Plan included new public spaces, new alleyways, improvements to existing streets, widened sidewalks, street trees, lights, seating areas and other elements to enhance and complete the vision for the Transbay Redevelopment Project Area.

The new Block 3 Park is approximately one acre and its final design includes a playground and play features, stewardship building with restroom and storage areas for Recreation and Park Department maintenance and operations and East Cut Community Business District future park activations, informal gathering spaces, flexible plaza space and large at-grade decks to host community activities and engagements, landscape furnishings, over 50 trees and plantings. The new Clementina and Tehama tree lined streets will flank the park and two new developments at Block 2 and Block 4.

The new future park will be named Pelican Park as voted for by the public and adopted by the future park owner Recreation and Park Department. The SF Art Commission Visual Arts Committee Art Enrichment process finalized the selection of the artist Mark Baugh-Sasaki to install his ‘Granite City’ sculptures in the future park. See community process below for more detail and information.

 

Major Project Schedule Milestones

  • 100% Design Development (3/23/2023)
  • 60% Construction Documents (5/11/2023)
  • 90% Construction Documents (10/13/2023)
  • DBI Site Permit approval (10/16/2023)]
  • Upcoming Milestones
    • 100% Construction Documents (Jan 2024)
    • Building Permit approval (early Spring 2024)
    • Construction start (Summer 2024)
       


Summary of Park Design Approvals

100% Schematic Design approved by:

  • Transbay Citizens Advisory Committee (2/10/2022)
  • RPD Capital Committee (3/2/ 2022) 
  • RPD Commission (3/17/2022)
  • OCII Commission (12/6/ 2022) (Resolution 47-2022)


Civic Design Review approval from the Arts Commission

  • Planning and Phase 1 Design Approval (9/2021) 
  • Phase 2 Design Approval (10/2022)
  • Phase 3 Design Approval (anticipated 1/2024)


SF PUC Stormwater Control Plan Preliminary review and approval (3/24/2023)



Community Outreach


Community Meetings to review Park Design
Hosted by Public Works, Recreation and Park Department, Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure and East Cut Community Business District (ECCBD)


Community Meeting 4  – (04/29/2021)
Presentation of community-selected park program design alternative, the “Clearing” (online meeting with 51 attendees)


Community Meeting 3 – (11/18/2020)
Design Refinements and alternatives shared for public input (online meeting with 67 attendees)


Community Meeting 2 – (9/9/2020)
Initial Design Ideas shared with the public for input (online meeting with 77 attendees)


Community Meeting 1 – (3/4/20)
Information Gathering from the public (in-person meeting with 50 attendees)


Community Surveys conducted for community feedback: 4 total

  • 3 issued by PW, RPD, ECCBD and OCII after Community Meetings 1, 2 & 3. Surveys were both via physical mail and online as Survey Monkey (on Public Works and RPD websites and ECCBD news blast).
  • 1 survey issued by ECCBD (3/2019). Click here to view results from a survey conducted in March 2019
  • Over 900 survey responses collected between 2020-2021


Park Naming Community Meeting Process

  • The East Cut CBD hosted the community meetings and surveys regarding the naming of Block 3 Park as the lead community agency.
  • Public Works, the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure and the Recreation and Park Department provided support and assistance to ECCBD.
  • Meeting 1 (8/9/2022)
  • Online name-ranking surveys to gauge community opinion (9/1/22-9/22/22)
  • Meeting 2 (4/18/ 2023): Four final future park names received the highest public votes: Coffee Park, Pelican Park, East Cut Park and Candace Park.
  • The public voted online for final survey which received 545 responses. Pelican Park being ranked as the top preferred name with 228 first-place votes. 
  • RPD Commission recommended ‘Pelican Park’ as the name for the future Block 3 Park following RPD acquisition of the completed park from OCII) (6/15/2023).

Check out  The East Cut Block 3 Park Naming Site and Watch the Zoom Meeting


Artist Selection Process

  • OCII has volunteered to participate in the SFAC Art Enrichment Program to commission public artwork that will be featured in the Park.
  • The artwork should be inspired by and responsive to the proposed park design, its natural habitat, physical landscape, site history, and sustainability. Additionally, the work should have a visual impact from a distance yet be integrated into the landscape.
  • The artist selection panel included representation from SFAC, RPD, the OCII Commission, local artists, and the Transbay Citizens Advisory Committee (“CAC”). 
  • The first SFAC artist review panel was held in February 2022, from which four artist finalists were selected.
    • Four artists were chosen as finalists by a Public Art Selection Panel to design site-specific proposals for this artwork opportunity: Mark Baugh-Sasaki, Terry Berlier, Cheryl Derricotte, and Kota Ezawa.
    • The four final artist proposals were online and posted at the Crossing at East Cut site.
  • The second SFAC artist review panel was held in August 2022.
  • The SF Arts Commission Visual Arts Committee approved of the Artist Finalist Mark Baugh-Sasaki’s proposal in September 2022


San Francisco Arts Commission Civic Design Review Board Process
Public meetings at SF Art Commisison were held to review and approve the project design:

  • Civic Design Review Concept Phase & Phase 1 (combined) Meeting and Presentation ( 9/20/2021)
  • Civic Design Review Phase 2 Meeting and Presentation (10/17/2022)
  • Civic Design Review Phase 3 Meeting and Presentation is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 15, 2024


Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII) Citizen Advisory Committee Public Meeting and presentation - 2/10/2022

  • The Committee voted 6:0 in favor of the proposed Transbay Block 3 Park & Alley schematic design presented. 


Recreation and Park Department Public Meetings and presentations

 

Streetscapes
STATUS In Progress
Location
Between Main and Beale streets; and Folsom and Howard streets
District
Start Winter, 2019
Completion Summer, 2026
Budget
Construction Document Phase
Client
Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII) & SF Recreation and Park Department
Project Manager
Kathleen O'Day
Project Team

San Francisco Public Works

SF Recreation and Park Department

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

East Cut CBD (Future Park Programming Partner)

Contact
Kathleen O'Day