SF’s Newest Park: Transbay Block 3 Park & Alley Coming in 2025
Another brand new park is coming to San Francisco (hopefully) in 2025, which will be a new permanent addition to SoMa.
The new Transbay Block 3 Park will be located between Main and Beale streets; and Folsom and Howard streets in the area that currently is being used as the pop-up “The Crossing” event space after having been used for years as the Temporary Transbay Terminal.
The current site will be divided into five parcels to include Block 2 and Block 4 housing developments, two new alleys and a new park. The new park will be approximately 1 acre. According to the San Francisco Arts Commission, the tentative schedule is that construction on the new Transbay Block 3 Park is set to start in late fall 2023 with completion scheduled for late fall 2025.
Transbay Block 3 Park and adjacent Clementina and Tehama alleyways are central features of the Transbay Redevelopment Project Area which includes 40 acres of high-density transit-oriented housing, office space and retail in the East Cut, a new neighborhood just south of San Francisco’s downtown and financial districts.
The Concept Plan includes new public spaces, new alleyways, improvements to existing streets, widened sidewalks, street trees, lights, seating areas and other elements to enhance and complete the vision for the Transbay Redevelopment Project Area.
The new Block 3 Park is approximately one acre and will include play features, informal gathering spaces, landscape furnishings, trees and plantings. The new Clementina and Tehama alleyways will flank the park and two new developments at Block 2 and Block 4.
What is the Site Now? It’s “The Crossing” Pop-Up
After the Temporarly Transbay Terminal was taken down and since construction on this new permanent park and housing wasn’t scheduled to begin until 2023, the city temporarily turned the space into the events pop-up “The Crossing” which includes a beer garden, food trucks, pickleball, public art, lots of public events and an outdoor movie theater. The Crossing is scheduled to be in use until mid-2023 until construction on the new park begins.
New Sculpture Art Park Coming
The Francisco Arts Commission is conducting a review process to choose an artist to create a sculpture or series of sculptures for the new Transbay Block 3 Park & Alley. The artwork should be inspired by and responsive to the proposed park design, its natural habitat, physical landscape, site history, and sustainability. Additionally, the work should have a visual impact from a distance yet be integrated into the landscape. Four artists were chosen as finalists by a Public Art Selection Panel to design site-specific proposals for this artwork opportunity: Mark Baugh-Sasaki, Terry Berlier, Cheryl Derricotte, and Kota Ezawa. View all of the art proposals.”
