Portsmouth Square Improvement Project

Background

Redesigning Chinatown’s Historic Public Plaza - Portsmouth Square, located in Chinatown, is one of San Francisco’s most significant historic, cultural, and civic spaces. The park is eligible for listing in the California Register of Historic Resources for its role as an important cultural space for the Chinatown community and for its association with important events and early development of San Francisco. As the city’s earliest public square, the park was the site of the 1848 declaration of California independence, the proclamation of the discovery of gold in 1849, California’s first public school, and the site of a refugee camp after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Portsmouth Square has also served as both a formal and informal public square and gathering space for San Franciscans since the settlement of Yerba Buena was first platted circa 1835. Portsmouth Square has served the Chinatown community for more than a century.

Environmental Review - The San Francisco Planning Department is conducting the environmental review for this project. For more information please visit the Planning Department’s website here .

Scope of Work

The park, located above the Portsmouth Square parking garage, will receive a complete renovation with funding from the 2020 Health and Recovery Bond. The design is the result of a robust community engagement and participatory design process, is reflective of the significance of the neighborhood, and addresses programmatic challenges unique to Chinatown. The renovated park will include the following community-identified priorities:

A large flexible outdoor event space with an elevated stage
A new larger community clubhouse with a large assembly area and meeting rooms
A large shade structure
A new consolidated playground with adult fitness equipment
The removal of the existing Kearny Street pedestrian bridge
Perimeter park fencing to allow for night security
Enhanced accessibility
New planting, irrigation, lighting, and furnishings
Generous seating and gathering areas
Replacement of the garage roof’s waterproofing and drainage system
Adjacent streetscape improvements

Funding

The project will be largely funded through developer impact fees and the 2020 Health and Recovery bond. The current identified funding sources include:

Transit Center Impact Fees: $10,865,000
Downtown Park Fund: $500,000
2020 Health and Recovery Bond: $54,000,000
Grants: $8,400

Estimated Project Schedule

Phase	Timeline
Planning	2017
Design	2020
Construction begins	Early 2026
Open to the public	Mid 2028

Project Updates

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Project Updates

Capital Project Update Opens in new window

Portsmouth Square Improvements | Portsmouth Square Art and Interpretive Master Plan

We are happy to share the Portsmouth Square Art and Interpretive Master Plan. This plan is the culmination of extensive community engagement and will guide our work on all new interpretive elements, existing monuments and plaques, and new Read on…

Portsmouth Square Improvements | Project advertised for public bid!

We’re excited to announce that on March 12, 2025, the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project was advertised for public bid! Interested contractors can review the bid opportunity and access the bid documents via the City’s electronic Read on…

Portsmouth Square Improvements | Project update, September 2024

We wanted to provide an update concerning the status of the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project, including the status of the pedestrian bridge demolition and removal. The City and the Hotel located at 750 Kearny St, have agreed to a schedule for the key Read on…

Thank you! Contractor Meet & Greet on July 22 a big success!

Thank you to all who attended the contractor meet & greet event on July 22! At the event we shared information on three important RPD projects that will be advertising this summer and fall: Buchanan Street Mall, Portsmouth Square, and India Basin Read on…

Contractor Meet & Greet event on July 22, 1pm-3pm

Attention General contractors and Local Business Enterprise contractors: Please join us for a Contractor Meet & Greet event on July 22, 1pm-3pm, at 49 South Van Ness to learn about Rec & Park’s investment in equity and upcoming opportunities on Read on…

Portsmouth Square | SF Arts Commission Visual Arts Committee Update

Thank you to community members who have provided input on the Public Art Project Plan for the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project! The plan was presented and approved by the SF Arts Commission Visual Arts Committee on May 15, 2024. Pending approval by Read on…

Portsmouth Square | Project update, February 2024

On January 30, 2024, San Francisco residents learned more about the Arts and Interpretative Program for the upcoming Portsmouth Square project Read on…

Portsmouth Square | Reminder: Community Meeting, January 30 | Arts & Interpretative Program

Please join SF Rec and Park, SF Arts Commission, SF Planning Department, and community stakeholders for a community meeting on the Portsmouth Square Arts & Interpretative Program. We will be meeting in-person to Read on…

Portsmouth Square | Community Meeting, January 30 - Portsmouth Square Arts & Interpretative Program

Portsmouth Square | Project update, December 2023

On October 19, 2023, San Francisco residents learned more about the Arts and Interpretative Program for the upcoming Portsmouth Square project. We got valuable insight and feedback from Read on…

Portsmouth Square | Reminder! Community Engagement Meeting on Arts & Interpretative Program

Reminder! We will be hosting an in-person community meeting this Thursday, October 19, 1:00-2:30 p.m. to review interpretive and arts themes, analyze existing plaques and monuments, and identify Read on…

Portsmouth Square | Community Engagement Meeting on Portsmouth Square Arts & Interpretative Program

We will be hosting an in-person community meeting to review interpretive and arts themes, analyze existing plaques and monuments, and identify Read on…

Portsmouth Square Improvement Project | Project update June 2023

We wanted to share some updates from the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project, a complete renovation of the park slated to begin next year. We have just completed Read on…

Portsmouth Square Draft EIR Publication Date: August 4, 2021!

The Portsmouth Square project team has been incredibly busy over the past several months . . . Read on…

Background and Project Goals

Portsmouth Square is located in the Chinatown neighborhood at 733 Kearny Street, between Clay Street and Washington Street, and is one of San Francisco’s most significant historic, cultural, and civic spaces. Originally a civic plaza for the Yerba Buena settlement, the square was renamed after the USS Portsmouth in 1846. Portsmouth Square has served as a backdrop to some of the most important moments in city and state history, including:

Countless festivals, parades, and other affirmations of civic pride
The rise and fall of the Gold Rush
The site of the first City Hall and California’s first public school
A staging ground and place of refuge after the 1906 earthquake

The existing terraced site includes:

Clubhouse
Restroom building
Pedestrian bridge extending over Kearny Street
Two children’s play areas
Underground parking garage
Various historical markers

Project Objectives

The Recreation and Park Department has identified the following objectives for this project:

Provide a Renovated Park that is Sensitive to the Cultural and Historic Setting of the Property

Provide a renovated park that is architecturally compatible with the Chinatown neighborhood while maintaining the existing park character.
Incorporate the existing monuments and art elements into a renovated park.

Align Park Renovation with Community Input

Be responsive to the recreational needs of the Chinatown neighborhood and provide for diverse groups of people of various ages and abilities.
Maximize the implementation of community input received during the engagement phase.

Maximize Park Cohesiveness and Usability

Improve spatial relationships, access, and circulation, both within the park and at the park-street frontage interface.
Maximize usable space and remove barriers or elements that divide usable space.
Create inviting and flexible spaces that can accommodate daily recreational activities and events of all sizes.
Establish a clubhouse that can flex to accommodate gatherings of multiple sizes.
Create a large multi-use upper plaza that can accommodate large events but is also comfortable for all event sizes.
Site new buildings in a manner that maximizes natural light, works with the existing garage structure and respects the topography of the site and the surrounding area.
Maximize direct connections between the clubhouse and the park that offer opportunities for indoor-outdoor uses.
Create a unified “active recreation” area with fitness equipment and a children’s playground with direct access to the clubhouse.

Create a Safe and Secure Park and Streetscape

Create a single cohesive park that is both physically and visually connected and uses site elements and structures to connect instead of divide spaces.
Provide direct lines of sight to and from the clubhouse to maximize safety and visibility throughout the property.
Provide a safe pedestrian experience both within the park and on the sidewalks.

Maintain and Preserve the Existing Garage and its Operations

Minimize impacts to the garage structure and its operations both during construction and at completion.
Upgrade the waterproofing of the garage and all roof drainage components to eliminate water intrusion into the garage and its structure.
Protect the existing restroom and garage infrastructure on the park level and seamlessly incorporate them into the renovated park.

Create a Sustainable and Easy-To-Maintain Park

Provide a “Zero Carbon” clubhouse by eliminating all carbon emissions and using 100% renewable energy.
Utilize durable and long-lasting materials and building systems to withstand intense use and not create long-term maintenance burdens.
Minimize the need for long-term pest management.
Design and implement a project that meets the established budget.

Documents and Materials

Commission Materials

Grant Award Materials

Rec Park Commission, Portsmouth Square – Grant Agreement and Accept and Expend, March 17, 2022 (PDF)

Community Meetings - Notes and Presentations

Additional Project Documents

Contact Us

Noah Levy

Project Manager Email More Information