There’s a new waterfront park in the works in San Francisco! Bayfront Park in Mission Bay just broke ground last week on the waterfront in front of Chase Center.
The park’s design features open lawns and plazas ideal for sightseeing and community gatherings, and provides a thoroughfare between adjacent green spaces like Agua Vista Park and Mariposa Bayfront Park. Reclaimed steel from the old Bay Bridge has been appropriated to create shade structures and other elements.
The $19.1M park is a highly-anticipated component of the Mission Bay South Redevelopment Plan, which dates back to 1998. The neighborhood has added thousands of housing units and retail spaces since then, not to mention the newly-opened Chase Center in 2019.
Mayor London Breed, Supervisor Matt Dorsey, and the Golden State Warriors attended Bayfront Park’s groundbreaking on August 3.
“Mission Bay has made a remarkable transformation from unused railyards into San Francisco’s newest neighborhood and a center for health care and sports excellence,” said Mayor Breed. “Now this crucial section of Mission Bay waterfront is on the cusp of a much-needed improvement with the construction of Bayfront Park.”
“As we mapped out the vision for Chase Center and Thrive City, this park was a critical piece of the overall project,” said Warriors President & Chief Operating Officer Brandon Schneider. “Bayfront Park will be a beacon to neighbors and visitors alike, offering unparalleled views of the bay in a safe, clean and accessible location. The Warriors are thrilled that our investment in the Mission Bay neighborhood will complement this phenomenal community asset.”
“We are pleased to be starting the construction of Bayfront Park in Mission Bay,” said OCII Executive Director Thor Kaslofsky. “The park is at the intersection of important open space, transit, and development projects. Not only is there a future ferry stop here, but Bayfront Park is a key link in this area of the Mission Bay Open Space system as well as the San Francisco Bay Trail that provides bay front access and views.”
The Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII) and Mission Bay’s developer FOCIL-MB LLC are leading the project, in collaboration with Lotus Water and Surface Design Inc.
The project comes on the heels of multiple other park openings, including Francisco Park, Presidio Tunnel Tops, and Battery Bluff. India Basin Waterfront Park is also still in the works with a $150M budget.
Featured image: via Surface Design Inc