Buchanan Street Mall Renovation Project

Project Summary

The Buchanan Mall partnership had its first success on November 7, 2015, when Supervisor Vallie Brown, Mayor London Breed, Green Streets, Citizen Film, The Trust for Public Land (TPL), The Exploratorium’s Studio for Public Spaces, and San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, along with many members of the Western Addition community, gathered to celebrate change in Buchanan Mall with the installation of the "Activation." The Activation was designed as a temporary installation of gardens, benches, archways, historical photos, lighting, and two "audio-domes" providing stories from the neighborhood.  

After extensive engagement activities and workshops, the Buchanan Street Mall Vision Plan was generated by the Western Addition community and published by the Trust for Public Land in 2017. Rec and Parks then continued working with our partners Citizen Film, Green Streets, and TPL, to create a conceptual design for the entire five blocks of the park. The concept plan—developed by the Office of Cheryl Barton, with support from Studio MLA—was approved by the Recreation and Parks Commission in April 2020.

Key Project Goals

• Safety, lighting, and beautification
• Connect all blocks and unify the community
• Tell the story of the community and the neighborhood
• Social interaction and multi-generational recreation
• Skills training and jobs creation

The concept plan was used to seek additional project funding and guide future capital investment as funding becomes available. The Recreation and Parks Department has contracted with SF Public Works for design and construction administration services for Phase 1, which includes full renovation of the Eddy – Turk, Turk – Golden Gate, and the McAllister – Fulton blocks, as well as improvements at all four segmenting intersections. Rec and Parks is also collaborating with the SF Public Utilities Commission to deliver green infrastructure that will better manage stormwater in the area and beautify the intersections along Buchanan Mall.

Project Schedule

Planning   
January 2015

Phase 1 (Eddy – Turk, Turk – Golden Gate, McAllister – Fulton, and all intersections)

Design                         April 2020
Construction                April 2023
Open to Public            June 2024

Phase 2 (Golden Gate – McAllister and McAllister – Fulton blocks) 
TBD

Funding 

The Buchanan Street Mall conceptual design was funded by The Trust for Public Land and its donors. Project seed funding came from the 2012 Neighborhood Parks Bond Let’sPlaySF! program, Buchanan Street Mall was a named project in the 2020 Health and Recovery Bond, and additional funding sources include development impact fees, a joint green infrastructure partnership with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, a special California budget allocation from Senator Wiener, a Prop 68 Statewide Parks Grant, and other public funds.

Resources

• Buchanan Street Mall Vision Statement, published on issuu
• Video about Buchanan Street Mall visioning process
• Conceptual Design by Office of Cheryl Barton
• Turk – Golden Gate Schematic Design by SF Public Works

#BuchananChange

Project Partners

1. The Trust for Public Land - A national nonprofit founded in San Francisco in 1972 to create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. TPL funded the conceptual design contract and is supporting the development of the Memory Walk by administering a Prop 68 Statewide Parks project grant. 
2. Citizen Film - A nationally recognized nonprofit that uses documentary storytelling, including film, oral histories, and other media, as a tool to foster dialogue about solutions to local problems. Citizen Film has partnered with Green Streets to engage neighbors, tell stories of community empowerment, facilitate park activation, and develop artwork and interpretive elements along the Memory Walk.
3. Green Streets - The staff of this small local business were key community organizers and members of the Design Task Force, which developed the Activation design and continue to connect the community to the project. Green Streets is a social enterprise providing environmental services and beautification for affordable housing properties along the Buchanan Street Mall through recycling, composting, and community education programs.
4. The Exploratorium - Exploratorium Studio for Public Spaces works in the public realm to create exhibits and environments that encourage play, exploration, creativity, and social connection. The Exploratorium Studio designed the Activation project and facilitated a unique community design-build process. The studio continues to advise on the project.

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