Transbay Block 3 Park and Streetscape Improvement
Project Updates
December 10, 2024: Public Works has awarded the contract for Phase 1 of the Transbay Block 3 Project to NTK Construction. Last week, the Public Works project team held a pre-construction planning meeting with NTK Construction as well as a number of its sub-contractors. On January 20, 2025, Public Works will officially give NTK Construction Notice to Proceed (NTP) for this project. This designation officially kicks off the pre-construction period, in which the project schedule will be finalized, administrative documents will be submitted, and construction equipment and materials will be procured. Full time on site construction is expected to begin in early Spring 2025. The anticipated on-site construction start date will be posted once Public Works has an approved baseline schedule from the contractor.
- STATUS: PHASE I - Streetscape Infrastructure was advertised for bid on 7/5/2024
- ANTICIPATED NOTICE TO PROCEED: Beginning of 2025
- CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION: Scheduled for Summer 2026
- STATUS: CURRENTLY ON HOLD
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 development, including 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 project has been divided into two phases: Phase I - Streetscape Infrastructure, and Phase II - Block 3 Park and the Tehama Street Extension. Phase I - Streetscape Infrastructure scope of work includes new Clementina right-of-way, signalized crossing, sidewalk widening of Main and Beale Streets, and Main Street waterline relocation. Phase II – Block 3 Park will be a new 1-acre park that will be owned and maintained by the Recreation and Park Department with activations in partnership with East Cut Community Benefit District. Phases II is currently on hold for a minimum of two years, allowing The Crossing at East Cut interim activation on Transbay Blocks 3 and 4 to continue while the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII, the Project sponsor) focuses on expedited delivery of the nearby Under Ramp Park Project (URP).
Major Project Schedule Milestones
- 100% Design Development (3/23/2023)
- 60% Construction Documents (5/11/2023)
- 90% Construction Documents (10/13/2023)
- 100% Construction Documents (2/7/2024)
- DBI Site Permit approval (10/16/2023)
- Advertisement for Bid Phase I - Streetscape Infrastructure anticipated (7/8/2024)
- Construction start Phase I - Streetscape Infrastructure (anticipated January 2025)
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)
- Survey results
- Presentation via Zoom
- Stewardship Building Options 3D Renderings
- Presentation slideshow
- Community feedback survey
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 is anticipated to be featured in the future Park (The Park project currently on hold. See Project Info above).
- 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)
- Check out: Conceptual & Phase 1 Presentation PDF
- Civic Design Review Phase 2 Meeting and Presentation (10/17/2022)
- Check out: CDR Phase II Presentation PDF
- 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
- The Recreation and Park Department Capital voted in favor (3/2/2022)
- The Recreation and Park Department Commission voted in favor (3/17/2022) of recommending the Schematic Design to the OCII Commission (5/17/2022).
San Francisco Public Works
SF Recreation and Park Department
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
East Cut CBD (Future Park Programming Partner)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Additional Resources
