Mayor Lurie Moves to Honor Former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos at Reimagined Embarcadero Park

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today moves to name part of San Francisco’s reimagined Embarcadero Park for former Mayor Art Agnos, whose decision to remove the Embarcadero Freeway following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake transformed the Embarcadero and reconnected downtown with the waterfront. As part of the planned renovations to the existing Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park, the southern half of the future park would be named Art Agnos Plaza, while the northern half of the new park would be known as Sue Bierman Commons. The cohesive five-acre waterfront park would be formally named Embarcadero Park. The naming proposal will go before the Recreation and Park Commission’s Capital Committee on September 2.

The reimagined park builds on Mayor Lurie’s Heart of the City plan and the city’s work to make downtown San Francisco a neighborhood where people live, work, play, and learn. The mayor recently welcomed 12 new homegrown businesses to downtown and Mid-Market thanks to the Storefront Opportunity Grant, while retail stores like the RealReal and AT&T have returned to the neighborhood and Nintendo has opened a flagship store. Office-to-housing conversions are gaining momentum. And so far this year, crime is down 24% in Union Square and the Financial District following last year’s 35% drop. Beyond downtown, the mayor is investing in improving and activating public spaces across the city: Yesterday, Mayor Lurie reopened the South Sunset Clubhouse, after opening of the newly rebuilt Eugene L. Friend Recreation Center in the South of Market neighborhood earlier this month and the Tenderloin Recreation Center Children’s Play Area in May.  

“When the Loma Prieta earthquake struck San Francisco, it was Art Agnos who helped guide our city through one of the most challenging moments in its history—and who seized that moment to transform our iconic waterfront for generations to come,” said Mayor Lurie. “As we once again reimagine a vital part of our waterfront, it is only fitting that we honor former Mayor Agnos’s legacy. This transformative project is a testament to what we can accomplish when the public and private sectors come together around a shared vision for San Francisco’s future. The new park will accelerate our city’s economic recovery by creating a true front door to downtown—a place where residents, workers, and visitors can live, work, play, and learn in the heart of San Francisco. Thank you to the DDC, Crankstart, and all of our partners for fostering vibrant public spaces in our city.”

The city and its partners are working to transform the two existing public spaces into a cohesive, five-acre waterfront park with expansive lawns, gardens, picnic and dining areas, performance and recreation spaces, improved pedestrian connections, an enclosed dog play area, and gathering spaces designed for both everyday use and large civic events. The project is expected to break ground in late 2026 and be completed by early 2028. 

The project is supported by a $20 million fundraising commitment from the Downtown Development Corporation (DDC), which includes a $10 million commitment from Crankstart.  

“The Embarcadero waterfront is one of San Francisco's defining public spaces. What was once shaped by a freeway is now the vibrant community we see today, thanks to Mayor Art Agnos's vision for a more open, welcoming waterfront,” said Shola Olatoye, DDC CEO. “Renaming a portion of the park for Mayor Agnos is an opportunity to honor that legacy and create a true crown jewel for San Francisco. We are grateful to Crankstart for their leadership and to our donors and supporters for stepping up to match the funds Crankstart is committing for the project. We are committed to raising the remaining capital. We look forward to working alongside Mayor Lurie, our city partners, the Downtown SF Partnership, BXP, and our other downtown partners to bring the vision for this new public park and opportunity for all of San Francisco to life.”

Alongside the Art Agnos Plaza, Sue Bierman’s name will remain prominently associated with the park. Bierman, who died in 2006, was a neighborhood activist, longtime planning commissioner, and member of the Board of Supervisors who played a leading role in the San Francisco Freeway Revolt, helping stop plans to extend a freeway through the Panhandle and Golden Gate Park. Under the naming proposal, the northern half of the new park would be known as Sue Bierman Commons.

“Art Agnos and Sue Bierman made bold choices that opened up San Francisco and created new possibilities for public space,” said Sarah Madland, General Manager, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. “That spirit is alive in this project. Thanks to an extraordinary partnership between the city and our private and philanthropic partners, we have the chance to create a spectacular new park that connects downtown to the waterfront and builds on the incredible energy we’re seeing downtown.”

During the September 2 meeting, the Capital Committee will also consider a donor recognition program for the new park, which would establish opportunities to recognize qualifying contributions from individuals, foundations, businesses, and other organizations. If recommended, the naming and donor recognition proposals will advance to the full Recreation and Park Commission for consideration.

“It's fitting that the beautiful new Embarcadero Park will have spaces dedicated to Former Mayor Art Agnos and Sue Bierman, two community champions who were instrumental in turning a frantic freeway into an accessible and enjoyable waterfront," said District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter. "As future generations enjoy this space, the legacy of those leaders who had courage to make hard decisions will be on full display.”

The future Embarcadero Park is the result of a public-private partnership among the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, DDC, BXP, and Downtown SF Partnership, with private fundraising complementing an $18 million public investment. The Downtown SF Partnership is contributing $2 million in private funding to the project, and BXP is contributing $2.5 million in design and coordination services.