Here's how SF's troubled Powell Street could look after major planned upgrade
Officials released design proposals to revitalize the Powell Street area in San Francisco. A design proposal has been released by the Union Square Alliance and the city of San Francisco for a $6 million renovation of Powell Street, a three-block stretch of the retail corridor adjacent to the cable car turnaround. The project aims to use aesthetic improvements and financial assistance for new tenants to revitalize the area, which now has multiple empty storefronts. The most recent design features many visual improvements, including a giant overhead chandelier and hanging lanterns from Market Street to Geary Street. Construction is set to begin in 2025. If approved, the project could open in 2026.
Pubblicato : 10 mesi fa di Madilynne Medina in Auto
City leaders revealed a design proposal Monday for a remodel of the Powell Street retail corridor adjacent to the cable car turnaround. The project is expected to be completed in the next few years.
The design for the three-block stretch of Powell Street was publicly released by the Union Square Alliance and the city of San Francisco. The project aims to use aesthetic improvements and financial assistance for new tenants to revitalize the formerly busy area, which now has multiple empty storefronts, including Uniqlo and H&M, which both closed in 2021. The area has also struggled to recover from decreased tourism after the pandemic, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.)
The $6 million project was first announced by San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin in May 2023. Of the existing funding, $4 million is dedicated to creating a promenade on this portion of Powell Street and $2 million will be allocated to help fill vacant storefronts.
The Union Square Alliance, which is leading the design of the remodel, said in a news release that this recent design phase was completed “on time and on budget with more than $3.5 million remaining.”
But the Alliance added that a “complete vision” to create a “full recovery” of Powell Street would cost between $20 million and $30 million. Breed has proposed a general obligation bond for the November ballot that would fund the long-term project in full.
If the project is able to receive “full funding,” it will be completed and open in 2026, David Perry, spokesperson for David Perry & Associates, the public relations firm that represents the project, told SFGATE.
The most recent design proposal features many visual improvements, including a giant overhead chandelier where Powell Street meets Market at the cable car turnaround, and hanging lanterns from Market Street to Geary Street, according to the release.
The project would create a lighting system for the Market to Geary stretch, with color-changing LED lights in the lanterns, as well as an improved corridor for people to frequent.
The street’s metallic parklets would be removed and its sidewalks widened to the edge of the cable car area to create this space, the release said. The project also plans to provide room for restaurants to set up outdoor dining. Trees and benches would be added “over time.”
According to Perry, the next steps are for the design team to create a “more detailed” version of the design; construction is slated to begin in 2025. On Wednesday, the Alliance plans to hold a public meeting at 111 Powell St. from 4 to 7 p.m. to introduce the designs and collect community input.