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Project Description

The New Harvey Milk Plaza, located at Castro and Market streets, is an important landmark to the neighborhood.  The plaza is a place like no other—as unconventional as the human rights figure himself. Equal parts memorial, celebration and call to action, it is here that visitors are introduced to Harvey Milk, learn about his story and mission, and then leave energized to create change in their own communities. The New Harvey Milk Plaza features a triangulated sculptural canopy which runs axially east/west through the site. This sculpture symbolizes the push and pull of Harvey Milk’s life, inspiring visitors to create a better future while simultaneously linking them to the past with a timeline embedded in the ground plane below the canopy. The sculptural canopy and timeline lead visitors on a journey through the plaza culminating in a grove of 11 ginkgo trees at its western edge which mark the 11 months Harvey Milk was in office. The New Harvey Milk Plaza will honor Harvey Milk, improve universal access throughout the site, create successful public space, and improve safety and security throughout the site, and become a new, iconic gateway to the Castro.

This bond will support vibrancy and serve planned needs of the City. Improvements at the important landmark will include protection of the iconic historical features of the plaza. $25 million will be used for construction of the Plaza including the following improvements:

• Regrade, repave, and re-landscape the current Harvey Milk Plaza in coordination with the MTA Castro Station Elevator Project
• Station elevator project, add a canopy over the Castro/Market Muni station entry, improve Muni station
• Provide entry stairs, and below grade concourse up to the fare gates, and elevator.
• Add Harvey Milk memorial.
• display fixtures, artwork and sculptural landscape elements integrated into the plaza landscape and hardscape.
• In addition to being a memorial to Harvey Milk, the project paving and grading improves disability accessibility.
• accessibility, and enhances public safety and security with lighting, streetscape, and Muni station entry improvements.

This General Obligation Bond proposal features:

• Regrade, repave, and re-landscape. The funds will be allocated for regrading, repaving, landscape of the memorial plaza, and safe relocation of the paths of gold
• Safety Improvements. The New Harvey Milk Plaza will honor Harvey Milk, improve universal access throughout the site, create successful public space, and improve safety and security throughout the site, and become a new, iconic gateway to the Castro.
• Circulation and Grading

With accessibility as a priority the new design provide a complete accessible path connecting Collingwood to Castro street. The design team is currently coordinating with SFMTA on potentially relocating the 35-bus stop to the western end of the site to ensure a completely accessible transit experience from the bus to the station below.

• Respecting Historic Façade

In response to the community desire to preserve the visibility of the historic Bank of America façade, the design team developed the required stair and escalator canopy to not compete with the scale and prominence of the building.

• The Gallery (Voices of the Community)

This indoor space, partially inside Castro Muni Station, will provide flexible gallery space for art and exhibits that reflect the current conversation and priorities of the community around issues of representation and social justice. A more permanent art piece is located directly below the skylight and is envisioned to have an audio component that would envelop the viewer in the sound of both Harvey’s voice and the voices of the community that continue to echo his message.

• Beacon

The form of the Beacon is inspired by the protest signs social justice movements have been using for decades – the same ones that littered Harvey’s Camera Shop, and we continue to see on the streets of San Francisco. This modular element is composed of several digital panels, some with dynamic displays that spotlight current inspirational messages of protest and celebration, and, when needed, of consolation. A symbol of hope and progress, The Beacon’s flexibility will allow it to celebrate current and ongoing events and activism while reminding visitors of the work that has been undertaken previously in advancing the rights of all individuals.