New $9.7 million park coming to SoMa—in 2024

A plan going back to 2012 to inject a little bit of green into the presiding grayness of 11th Street is on its way to the Board of Supervisors for final consideration. But if approved, the park won’t bear fruit for at least seven more years.

Last summer, San Francisco Recreation and Park went in for a deal to buy a half acre of land on 11th and Natoma for park space, initially valued at $10 million.

According to the current version of the proposal, they’ve since whittled that number down a touch to just over $9.7 million.

Five commercial buildings on the site would be razed in favor of a park “about the same size as Patricia’s Green and more than twice as large as Sgt. John Macaulay Park.” The precise details of what would go into the lots aren’t set, with “types of amenities [...] not yet determined.”

Supervisor Jane Kim, who represents the neighborhood on the Board, told the San Francisco Examiner in 2016 that “District Six has the smallest and fewest parks in the city. [...] In order to plan and build more complete neighborhoods we must plan for open space and recreation as well.”

Rec & Park

The SoMa park nearest the site is the community garden on Howard and Langton about four blocks away, but that’s classified only as a mini-park. The board will consider the deal some time this month.

But even if the new green space gets a green light, don’t expect plans to actually take root anytime soon: The current tenants of those buildings, which include a refrigerator supply store and several offices, have leases through 2024, which will transfer over the city.

When all is said and done, the entire affair will most likely end up being more than a dozen years from exploration to completion.

• 11th, Natoma One Pager [Rec & Park]
• SF Looks To Buy SoMa Half-Acre [Examiner]
• Howard Langton Mini Park [SF Parks Alliance]