Former reservoir on San Francisco's Russian Hill transformed into new city park
SAN FRANCISCO - After being fenced off for 80 years, the site of the former Francisco Reservoir on San Francisco's Russian Hill is now open to the public as the city's newest park.
Francisco Park, which is on Bay Street between Larkin and Hyde, sits upon the original site of the Francisco Reservoir, the city's first reservoir. Considering its history, it was only fitting that city leaders celebrated the park's opening on Wednesday with a watering ceremony.
The reservoir was constructed in the 1800s and served the city until it ceased operations in 1940. It completely shut down in 1966, and had been fenced off for decades.
Adrian Batteiger, who has lived down the street since 1977, described it as "an eyesore."
"It was a very ugly place," he said.
San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani spoke at the park's grand opening ceremony.
"This today is an example of what we get right," she said. "This site used to be a walled off, cement reservoir, that didn't serve any purpose whatsoever. It was ugly, it was inaccessible, and it was destined to stay that way, except that people here envisioned more for themselves, more for their neighborhood, and more for our beloved city."
The vision for the park became a reality after many years, with a public-private partnership between the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and the non-profit Francisco Park Conservancy.
"Every dollar has made a difference, and we made this magic happen because so many of you came together to dedicate your time and your resources," said Mayor London Breed. "San Francisco is so fortunate. We're fortunate because we take a reservoir and other things that were made to not be accessible or available to the public, and we create something magical and beautiful that brings people together."
Phil Ginsburg, the General Manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, is thrilled the project is complete.
"A lot of the people who live around here have actually toiled with us over the last 12-14 years to build this thing. There is a sense of palpable joy and relief that is really noticeable. You can feel the energy here," Ginsburg told KPIX 5.
After the ceremony, people and families enjoyed Francisco Park for the very first time.
"Everyone I know - whether they have kids or not - is very excited about it," said Asha Woodall, who lives nearby. "We've been very excited for it to open. We walk by almost every day, almost waiting for the fences to come down."
The park has a children's playground, a dog run, a nature exploration area, community gardens, and also pays tribute to its history with some of the original reservoir infrastructure on display.
"If we've learned anything over the past two years, is that free, accessible open space, is absolutely vital to a vibrant and successful city," Stefani said.
At 4.5 acres, Francisco Park is the largest public park to open in San Francisco's urban core in nearly 40 years.
"I think it's a great deal for the neighborhood and for the city," Batteiger said. "It's beautiful, I'll be out here quite a bit."
