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Let’sPlaySF! Initiative (2012 Bond)

Background

Let’sPlaySF! has its origins in the $195 million San Francisco Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks General Obligation Bond approved by 71.6% of voters in November 2012. The Bond allocated $15.5 million to renovate dilapidated playgrounds through the City.

In 2014, the Recreation and Park Commission appointed a Citizen Task Force to determine which playgrounds were most in need of renovation. The Task Force prioritized six Tier 1 and seven Tier 2 playgrounds for renovation based on four criteria: (1) the presence of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) Pressure Treated Wood, (2) low Household Median Income, (3) high Youth Density and (4) low Parks Alliance Playground Report Card Grades.

In December 2014, the Recreation and Park Commission unanimously adopted the list recommended by the Task Force, of which the Department committed to renovate all six Tier 1 playgrounds and to renovate some or all Tier 2 playgrounds provided if additional funding were procured. In the wake of that determination, the Department and the Parks Alliance decided to partner on Let’sPlaySF!, a capital campaign dedicated to raising sufficient funds to ensure that all 13 playgrounds can be reimagined for San Francisco’s children. The Parks Alliance Board voted in December 2015 to undertake the campaign and in December of 2016, the Commission approved a MOU between the Parks Alliance and the Department to partner on the project and recommended that the Board of Supervisors accept up to $15 million from the Parks Alliance for the project.

Program Status

The initiative has fully completed 11 of the 13 playgrounds and are open to the public. Of the two remaining playgrounds, Stern Grove is slated to begin construction in late 2024, while Buchanan Mall Playground has been incorporated into a larger renovation of the park and is currently in design phase. For status updates on the individual sites, click on a project.

Status of Tier 1 Sites - All Tier 1 sites are completed and open to the public.

Status of Tier 2 Sites:

For more background and to donate through our partner, visit San Francisco Parks Alliance .

Project Updates If you would like to sign up for updates click here and scroll down to the NewsFlash and select the alerts you would like to receive.

Contact Us

Kelli Rudnick

Project Manager Supervisor Email More Information