SF Approves $40M Powell Street Revitalization Plan
Published September 19, 2025
The Facts
San Francisco's Arts Commission unanimously approved design plans on September 16 for a $40 million transformation of Powell Street between Market Street and Union Square, according to J.K. Dineen at The Chronicle. The project will add illuminated globes suspended in a zigzag pattern, widened sidewalks with cafe seating, and a programmable "golden lantern" sculpture above the cable car turnaround. The makeover, designed by Field Operations (the firm behind New York's High Line), also includes red brick roadways and gold-colored benches to revitalize the corridor of mostly vacant storefronts.
The Context
The project originated with $4 million in funding announced by Mayor Breed and then-Board President Aaron Peskin in 2023, with the Union Square Alliance leading the design phase. The Alliance unveiled the proposal in June 2024 and completed the design phase "on time and on budget" with $3.5 million remaining for initial implementation. The design advanced through the city's Civic Design Review Committee on September 15 before receiving Arts Commission approval with a detailed presentation outlining the full project scope.
The three-block corridor was hit hard by pandemic-era business closures, but has recently seen new investment from Nintendo and Pop Mart. The project aims for groundbreaking in fall 2026 with completion by 2027, though additional fundraising is needed to reach the full $40 million budget.
The GrowSF Take
Looks great! Check out the full design presentation here.