Lincoln Park projects update

I spoke with longtime Richmond District resident Anna Yartroussis recently about two projects that are happening at Lincoln Park; the renovation of the Lincoln Park Children’s Playground and the restoration of the nearby Lincoln Park Steps at the end of California Street.

Lincoln Park Playground, located at 33rd Avenue and Clement Street is currently closed for a major renovation that will last until March, 2010. The $934,824 project (budget detail) is funded by the San Francisco Recreations & Park Department.

Yartroussis was involved in the initial planning and fundraising for the playground renovation, and says one of her first jobs was to pursue Albertson’s Market for their promised donation of $500,000. Even though the market was on its way out of the neighborhood, it made good on its donation.

The children’s playground is being completely redesigned and will include new play equipment, safety surfacing and new furnishings. The renovation also calls for new seatwalls and landscaping.

Like many modern playgrounds, Lincoln playground will have two distinct sections – one for children age 2-5, the other designed with taller, more complex structures for kids age 5-12.

Project manager Meghan Tiernan of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department told me this summer that “this will be great for the pre-schools in the area that use Lincoln Playground.”

A conceptual drawing of the new Lincoln Park Playground, due to re-open in March, 2010

Yartroussis is also leading the restoration of the Lincoln Park steps at the end of California Street. In use since the 1900s, decades of neglect and disrepair have resulted in cracked steps, damaged concrete and wasted landscaping that attract nighttime loitering, frequent graffiti and dumping of unwanted items.

With her group the Friends of Lincoln Park, Yartroussis’ goal is to raise $300,000 for the project, which will repair the steps and cover portions of it with decorative tiles.

They are well on their way with a recent $51,000 Community Challenge Grant award from the city and a $10,000 donation from adjacent Katherine Delmar Burke School, where Yartroussis’ daughters are enrolled.

The tile designs for the Lincoln steps are inspired by historic photographs of Sutro Baths and buildings of the 1890 World’s Fair in San Francisco, and from the artistic vision of Aileen Barr, a renowned tile artist who has worked on many public projects in San Francisco, including the award-winning 16th Avenue Stairs in Golden Gate heights.

The restoration will be conducted over the next two years to allow for additional fundraising and community input. The first phase will include re-pouring the wall bench at the top of the stairs and tiling the back wall.

For more information about the Lincoln Steps restoration project, visit the Friends of Lincoln Park website. Want to help? Much of the project is being financed with private donations from Richmond District residents. If you would like to contribute, please donate.

Sarah B.

An artist’s rendering of the restored Lincoln Steps.

An artist’s rendering of a bench on the middle landing of the steps.