San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed, Supervisor Matt Haney, and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman have introduced legislation to permit the construction of a new public gathering space in the Western SoMa neighborhood known as Eagle Plaza, which will serve as a focal point for the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural Heritage District.

Largely due to its industrial past, there is a significant lack of public open space in the neighborhood. Eagle Plaza will help address this need as the area continues to experience growth, and will be designed to recognize the strong cultural influence of the local LGBTQ and leather communities.

“Eagle Plaza will not only provide much-needed open space in Western SoMa, it will also recognize the cultural contributions of the LGBTQ and leather communities,” said Mayor Breed. “I am excited that we are able to remove the roadblocks and finally get this exciting project to move forward.”

Eagle Plaza will transform an approximately 12,500 square foot portion of 12th Street between Harrison and Bernice Streets in San Francisco's Western SoMa neighborhood into a new pedestrian plaza with a shared public way, in which traffic calming features create a safe space for people of all ages to gather, relax, play, and celebrate. The plaza is designed for both active and passive recreation, with more open, hardscape areas that can host neighborhood gatherings, events, and performances. Additional improvements will include approximately 2,400 square feet of additional landscaping, accent lighting, temporary seating, and a re-grading of sidewalk and roadway paving. Eagle Plaza will stand as an internationally landmarked commemorative public space for Folsom Gulch's leather and LGBTQ communities and include a leather pride flag flying above the plaza.

“I’m glad to see Eagle Plaza finally moving forward and am proud to introduce this ordinance with Mayor Breed and Supervisor Haney,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. “The plaza will be an important public meeting place for the leather community during events like Folsom Street Fair and Up Your Alley and will also provide much-needed year-round public park space in SoMa.”

“At a time when San Francisco is rapidly changing and developing, it is even more critical that we honor and celebrate the rich history and culture of our city,” said Supervisor Matt Haney. “The SOMA neighborhood has been home to a thriving LGBTQ and leather community for decades. It is wonderful to see the important contributions of the LGBTQ leather community honored, while also bringing much needed public open space to our neighborhood.  I’m grateful for the hard work of the LGBTQ community, the Mayor’s Office, Build Inc, and many others in making Eagle Plaza a reality.”

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