A Permanent Town Square in the Excelsior?
Excelsior Action Group and Sunday Streets Bring the Vision to Persia Triangle on October 20
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mary Strope
O (415) 344-0489
mary@livablecity.org
***PRESS RELEASE***
San Francisco – Excelsior residents have dreamed of creating a permanent town square and public mini park at the Persia Triangle, a site formed by the intersection of Mission Street, Ocean and Persia Avenues in the heart of the neighborhood, for years. As local efforts ramp up to make the community space a reality, the Excelsior Action Group (EAG) and Sunday Streets are transforming the space – currently an auto repair shop – into a pop-up park at Sunday Streets Excelsior, taking place on October 20 from 11am-4pm.
“It is important for our neighborhood to have a dedicated public space and Persia Triangle has been on our hearts and minds for a long time,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safai. “I am fully committed to working with the community and various City agencies to make the acquisition of Persia Triangle a reality.”
Trees from Friends of the Urban Forest, games from SF Parks Alliance, picnic benches, live music, and free activities will bring fun and greenery to the usually car-centric location. EAG recently assisted community members with the formation of Friends of Persia Triangle.
Along with Livable City — the nonprofit that produces Sunday Streets — the new group will be present at the pop-up to talk to neighbors about and advocate for the permanent open space.
Despite a high percentage of multi-generational families, the Excelsior has no public plazas and few open spaces. Though the neighborhood is bordered by Balboa and McLaren Parks, it lacks a central, accessible gathering space for residents. Currently, Persia Triangle only sees this transformation twice yearly at Sunday Streets Excelsior. However, Livable City and the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF) held a pop-up in July, and SF Parks Alliance is exploring the possibility of a monthly activation to help build the culture and support around making the longtime dream a physical reality.
Open streets program Sunday Streets brings a mile of car-free open space twice yearly to the district, spanning Mission Street from Geneva to Silver Avenues and produces a season of ten annual car-free events citywide. EAG develops and sustains underserved commercial corridors in District 11 through small-business capacity building, public and private space activation, community real estate and city liaison services, and policy advocacy activities.
The Sunday Streets 2019 season is made possible by the following season sponsors: Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), San Francisco Department of Children, Youth & Their Families (DCYF), Mission Housing Development Corporation, San Francisco Department of Public Works (SFPUC), Genentech, Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), Sutter/CPMC, Baywheels, Clif Kid, iHeartMedia, Skip, Sutter/CPMC, iHeart Media, Jump Bikes and Xfinity/Comcast and event sponsors The Excelsior Collaborative, District 11 Office of Supervisor Ahsha Safai and Boosted
About Sunday Streets
Sunday Streets is a program of the nonprofit Livable City, presented in partnership with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the Shape Up SF Coalition. Additional City support comes from the Department of Public Works, Recreation & Parks Department, SF Police Department, SF County Transportation Authority, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and her offices and the SF Board of Supervisors.
For more information about Sunday Streets, including the Sunday Streets event activity guide, visit: www.SundayStreetsSF.com. For information on Muni routes and vehicle access, call 511 or go to www.sfmta.com