Bonds and Initiatives
The Capital Plan relies on a series of bonds to modernize the City’s parks and recreation facilities. With passage of the 2008 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond for $185 million, the department was able to renew and renovate 12 neighborhood parks, playgrounds, and recreation facilities and begin addressing the infrastructure needs in our urban forest, trail network, playfields, and restrooms. In November 2012, voters approved an additional $195 million in Bonds to improve 15 more neighborhood parks, including three pools, remediate failing playgrounds, bring long-awaited investment to our citywide parks, and continue the vital renewal projects in our urban forest, trails, and water conservation needs. Even with the significant infusion of funds received by the Bonds, more than $1 billion in deferred maintenance and modernization needs remain.
Active Initiatives
Completed Initiatives
Capital and Planning Reports The Capital and Planning Division submits monthly financial reports on the status of our projects and initiatives to the Recreation and Park Commission . These available on the Commission’s webpage. Click the green box for 2023 materials from Full Commission meetings:
For archive of Full Commission Documents from previous years, Click here .
The Division also produces reports on projects with bond funding for the Citizens’ General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee (GOBOC). These are available on the GOBOC webpage under Recreation and culture bond programs .
Project Updates
If you would like to receive updates about all our active projects, please visit the News Flash section of our webpage and subscribe to “Rec Park Improvements | All Project Updates,” or pick-and-choose your subscriptions by project name.
Gene Friend Rec Center | Harriet Street utility connection work will extend into next week
Work in the Harriet Street roadway to complete the new utility connection is now expected to extend into next week. There is no planned weekend work. We appreciate your patience with this unanticipated extension. This work has increased impacts to Read on…
Stern Grove Playground Renovation | Stern Grove Playground Transformed into Tree House Village
Beloved Sunset District play space reopens as whimsical, nature-inspired retreat. Read on…
Golden Gate Park - Botanical Garden Access Improvements | Construction update, September 2025
We’re excited to report that the Friend Gate (North Gate) is now open again! Work around the Friend Gate was Phase 2 of this project and included construction of new stairways and ramps, pathway paving work, and installation metal handrails around the Read on…
Stern Grove Playground Renovation | REMINDER! Playground Ribbon Cutting on September 10, 3:30 pm
Come out for the reopening of Stern Grove Playground on Wednesday, September 10 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The event will feature brief remarks, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and the debut of the new, nature-based play area of the Read on…
Koshland Park Community Garden Renovation | Community Meeting on September 9
Join Rec and Park, Trust for Public Land and TS Studio for a community meeting on planned improvements to Koshland Park. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 9 at 6 p.m. in the park’s community garden (Page and Buchanan streets), where the Read on…
Buena Vista Park Improvements | Project update, September 2025
We’re pleased to report that we’ve made good progress in the project’s planning and design. We attended a Buena Vista Neighborhood Association meeting in July and shared the following key design updates. The current scope for the project would include Read on…
Gene Friend Rec Center | Harriet Street Disruptions for Utility Connection Work
The contractor team will be making a new utility connection in the Harriet Street roadway next week, September 8-12. This work is expected to include more impacts to traffic and parking than has been typical throughout the course of Read on…
Bernal Heights Playground | Construction update, September 2025
Construction is underway! The new playground equipment has arrived, and installation is scheduled to begin later this month. The contractor is currently working to disassemble and remove the old equipment. Once the new equipment and play surfacing are Read on…
Rossi Pool Earns LEED Platinum Certification
In 2022, Rec and Park completed a full renovation of Rossi Pool (600 Arguello Boulevard), featuring several upgrades to make the facility more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable. These features earned the Read on…
McLaren Park Trails | Construction update, September 2025
Work is continuing on University Hill in McLaren Park, between Louis Sutter Playground and the courts near Mansell. The new ribbon trail is almost complete, with the finishing touches and accessibility inspections scheduled for this week and Read on…
Buchanan Street Mall | Construction update, September 2025
We’re happy to share that the final segment of cured-in-place sewer lining was completed on August 29, officially wrapping up our planned night work. A big thank you to our nearby neighbors for your patience, we know night work can be disruptive. Although Read on…
South Sunset Clubhouse | Construction update, August 2025
Our contractor has completed most of the new structural footings and poured the rear retaining wall. Installation of new storm drain infrastructure is now in-progress. In the course of work, we encountered a damaged drain line on the east side of the Read on…
Japantown Peace Plaza Renovation | Construction update, August 29, 2025
This month, you’ve seen the existing Geary Blvd wall was stripped of its tiles and being strengthened while the new wall form work is being built. This wall will mitigate traffic noise and visuals from the plaza. Other construction highlights include Read on…
Gene Friend Rec Center | Construction update, August 2025
We’ve made substantial progress on the exterior framing, and we are now starting the installation of the roofing. Unfortunately, this past weekend, there was another break-in at the construction site. We are working together with the contractor to Read on…
Golden Gate Park | Construction begins soon on Stanyan Street Sidewalk Improvements
We are excited to announce that the Stanyan Street Sidewalk Improvements Project will be starting construction soon. This project will upgrade existing sidewalks and driveway aprons at the parking lot entrances on the west side of Stanyan between Read on…
Stern Grove Playground Renovation | Playground Ribbon Cutting on September 10
Come out for the reopening of Stern Grove Playground on Wednesday, September 10 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The event will feature brief remarks, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and the debut of the new, nature-based play area of the Read on…
Mission Bay Future Parks Project | Project update, August 2025
We are excited to share that the Mission Bay Future Parks Project is moving ahead with the design phase. A RFQ was released in early August, and a design team should be selected by mid-October. The project includes two distinct areas: 1) the final three Read on…
Rachele Sullivan Park | Project update, August 2025
We want to share an important update about the future Rachele Sullivan Park. In recent years, the development impact fees that traditionally support capital projects in the parks have shrunk considerably due to slower development rates and Read on…
Twin Peaks Trail Improvement Project and Promenade Project | Construction update, August 2025
We’re excited to announce that the Crestline Connector Trail is now complete and open to the public! This new connector not only restores access between Crestline Drive and the Twin Peaks summit but also serves as the final piece of the Read on…
Golden Gate Park - Botanical Garden Access Improvements | Construction update, August 2025
Phase 1 of the project is now complete and open to the public! Phase 1 involved pathway improvements in the southeast section of the gardens (Mesoamerican Cloud Forest), including paving work and installation of concrete ramps and metal handrails. This is Read on…
Buchanan Street Mall | REMINDER: Workforce Development Community Meeting, this Thursday, 8/21 at 2pm
REMINDER: Workforce Development Community Meeting, this Thursday, August 21 at 2pm at Rosa Parks Senior Center on Buchanan Mall (at Golden Gate Ave.). Come learn more about job opportunities, training, and employment support. For the Read on…
McLaren Park | McLaren Park Vision Plan Update + 2020 Bond Funding Allocations at Commission on 8/21
Please join us (in-person or online) for a presentation of the Vision Plan Update and 2020 Bond Funding Allocations at Recreation and Park Commission. This Thursday, August 21st at 10am. The McLaren Park Vision Plan (2018) has guided our Read on…
Mayor Lurie Breaks Ground on Final Phase of India Basin Waterfront Park Project
Project Continues Mayor Lurie’s Work to Foster Vibrant Public Spaces, Support Bayview Community Read on…
McLaren Park Trails | Construction update, August 2025
Our contractor has finished grading for accessibility at the ribbon trail on University Hill. They have installed several salvaged granite benches along the route to take advantage of the sweeping views over the Read on…
Buchanan Street Mall | Construction update, August 2025
Construction is currently focused on specialized sewer work, surface demolition, and careful investigations to locate and protect existing utilities. The project team has completed the second of three 48-hour sewer lining operations, where a Read on…
Bernal Heights Playground | Construction update, August 2025
Bernal Heights Playground is now closed for the duration of construction: August 11 through Late 2025. Construction of the new playground begins this week. This playground renewal project includes replacing all play equipment and playground surfacing by Read on…
Buchanan Street Mall | REMINDER: Night work scheduled for August 11 and 12
DAY AND NIGHT WORK REMINDER: Sewer and construction work will be continuous for 48 hours from August 11-13. This includes two evenings of night work (August 11 & 12). The contractor will Read on…
Buchanan Street Mall | Saturday work scheduled for August 9
NOTICE OF WEEKEND WORK: There will be on-site construction work this Saturday. The contractor will follow all noise ordinance requirements. DAY AND NIGHT WORK REMINDER: Sewer and construction work will be continuous for 48 hours from August 11-13. This Read on…
India Basin Waterfront Park | India Basin Shoreline Park Groundbreaking on August 19
Join the partners of the India Basin Waterfront Park project—the Trust for Public Land, San Francisco Foundation, A. Philip Randolph Institute, San Francisco Recreation and Parks, and the Bayview-Hunters Point community—for the groundbreaking on Read on…
Buchanan Street Mall | Workforce development update, August 7, 2025
For the past two years, we have partnered with Success Centers, a hyper-local community-based workforce nonprofit dedicated to connecting local Western Addition and Fillmore residents with trade job opportunities, training, and employment support for Read on…