SAN FRANCISCO – Revamped athletic fields, new sports equipment, improved lighting and accessible pathways were among the major improvements unveiled by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department today at the Potrero Hill Recreation Center.
The $5.5 million renovation also included a new irrigation system, new landscaping, concrete retaining walls, curbs, stairs, resurfacing of the center’s tennis and basketball courts and new light poles to illuminate the path of parents walking children to school. Approximately $4.1 million in funding was provided through the 2012 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond.
The changes were met with a celebration involving local youth, city officials and neighborhood groups such as the Potrero Annex Tenants Association and Friends of Potrero Hill Rec Center.
“I remember coming up to the Potrero Hill Rec Center at a young age and playing basketball and watching my older cousins on the court,” said San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton. “It’s exciting to see the new playground and now the updates to all of the fields makes it even more exciting for young people and families to utilize. We will continue to fight for more open space and more modern recreation facilities in District 10.”
The improvements are the latest in what has become the site’s complete overhaul over the past 12 years. Its upper playground area reopened in October 2011 after extensive work on the softball field, tot lot and picnic areas. Its lower playground received a complete renovation and was reopened in August of 2007. Funding came from the 2004 Revenue Bond.
“The Potrero Hill Recreation Center is a cherished community hub for neighbors to gather and children to play,” said Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “We will continue to invest in this incredible resource that has something for everyone.”