San Francisco, CA – Starting this July, the former Temporary Transbay Terminal site will host a range of new activities and events, providing a space for community members to safely play, eat, drink, and explore. As part of Mayor London N. Breed’s Downtown Recovery Plan, the temporary activation of the approximately 3.5-acre site in the Transbay neighborhood, on the block between Howard, Main, Folsom, and Beale Streets, will help enliven San Francisco’s downtown area and support the City’s economic recovery.

 

The Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII), which is responsible for developing the site into housing and with surrounding park and public spaces starting in early 2023, has selected East Cut Landing Partners (ECLP) to activate the former transit terminal site with a variety of programs and activities until construction begins.

 

“Our downtown is coming alive again, and as we get more people vaccinated and continue to reopen and recover, this site will be a place for the community to come together safely and have fun,” said Mayor Breed. “Using this site in the Transbay neighborhood to provide a safe place for people to hang out, eat a meal, or get some exercise is a great use of this land and will serve people from the neighborhood and throughout San Francisco.”

 

East Cut Landing Partners will begin activating this site in July 2021 with a variety of temporary activities for San Francisco residents and families. Programming will initially include Street Soccer USA fields, local food trucks, food and retail stalls operated by local businesses, a family-friendly beer garden, fitness space, an outdoor cinema, and children’s play area. As the site becomes further activated, ECLP proposes additional uses including pickleball courts, public art, a dog run, and flexible space for community events and classes, private events, and other community-serving uses.

 

In response to community desire to see the site utilized prior to its ultimate development, OCII in consultation with the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA), the former owner of the site, issued a Request for Proposals in December 2020 seeking an operator to create and implement a plan for temporary activation of the Site. OCII selected ECLP to provide an array of community-serving uses, and the activation will be revenue-neutral for OCII.

 

“As more housing is built and more families move into the neighborhood, it’s vital that we continue to create new community spaces to truly make this a residential neighborhood,” said Supervisor Matt Haney. “The activation will not only add to the vibrancy of the East Cut and Rincon Hill, it will bring necessary spaces and services that residents have long called for. This is the exact type of resident-centered initiative that our City needs as we re-open.”

 

“OCII is pleased to partner with ECLP to provide an exciting space for community-serving activities while we work on bringing forward the future housing and park developments that will add to this already dynamic neighborhood,” said Interim Executive Director Sally Oerth.

 

“The TJPA is excited by the impending activation of the former Temporary Transbay Terminal that will provide San Franciscans a variety of fun, community offerings while revitalizing this burgeoning neighborhood and helping the City’s economic recovery,” said Nila Gonzales, Interim Executive Director of the TJPA.

 

ECLP added, “we look forward to partnering with residents, business owners, and the City to develop a fun and safe outdoor venue to be enjoyed by all.”

 

ECLP is a partnership between the East Cut Community Benefit District, Street Soccer USA, Real Active, and Nestory Park, and will work to include diverse participants in the activation, with a focus on neighborhood businesses and members of the surrounding community. ECLP proposes to operate the Site through the commencement of construction of permanent affordable and market-rate housing and park uses on the site, currently planned for early 2023.

 

This activation will allow local business partners to operate safely outdoors and to provide a space that promotes community health and wellness, and a space for friends and neighbors to come together safely in the Transbay neighborhood seven days a week. The site will operate starting at 6:00 am for fitness uses and 7:00 am for general uses until 10:00 pm on weekdays and 11:00 pm on weekends, with weekend cinema screenings (operating with headphones for patrons) extending to 12:00 am.

 

While broad participation is encouraged, members of the public, including people who have received a vaccine, should continue to follow health guidelines. ECLP has taken care to plan programming that follows San Francisco health directives on scale, distancing, and operations and asks that participants protect the health and safety of others by wearing masks as appropriate, practicing handwashing and good hygiene, and following social distancing and other safety protocols.

 

This week, Mayor Breed announced her proposed budget for the next two years, which includes significant investments to drive and accelerate the city’s economic recovery. Included in these investments is funding for the Downtown Recovery Plan to help welcome back office workers, tourists, and conventions. The Mayor’s proposed two-year budget makes targeted investments centered around activating downtown spaces, and making the City a safer, more welcoming place for visitors and residents.

 

Over the next two years, the Mayor’s proposed budget will invest $25.6 million in various programs aimed at safety, beautification, and activation of key downtown areas. The Downtown Recovery Plan includes an expansion of the number of community ambassadors in the downtown corridor, Tenderloin, Mid-Market, and UN Plaza areas; a series of events and activations throughout Downtown, at temporary Transbay Terminal site, and along the waterfront; and improvements at Hallidie Plaza, the entrance to the Powell Street BART Station and site of the Cable Car turnaround. The Mayor’s proposed budget also includes $4.6 million over the two years to provide convention rent incentives at the Moscone Convention Center. This investment will help to attract convention business back to San Francisco by reducing the cost for events, making the City a more attractive place for returning convention business.

 

 

###