CCCBD Quarter 4 Newsletter

Quarter 4 2019

Holiday Tree Lighting & Fanfare Concerts Provided Merriment and Festive Ambiance for District

The annual Civic Center Plaza Tree Lighting return ed December 4, 2019. The night of festive entertainment and activities was made possible by San Francisco's Recreation and Parks Department and the Civic Center community working together to produce the multi-faceted event. The crowd was entertained with performances by: The Topman All Stars, Dickens Fair Carolers of the Great Dickens Fair; the acapella group The Dartmouth Dodecaphonics ; and the Tap Dancing Christmas Trees . Talented youth performers included: poets from America SCORES, singers from 42nd Moon School, and the string quartet Stars Aligned. The Civic Center CBD provided overall event management with Boxcar Theatre 's Nick Olivero providing artistic direction.

This year's generous sponsors included:

Civic Center Initiative

Redwood Credit Union

Lendlease

SFPD's Northern Station and Another Planet Entertainment sponsored and managed the toy giveaway for over 500 children. The Redwood Credit Union-sponsored Maker Village featured holiday-themed, DIY activities provided by SF Etsy members: Coffee n' Cream Press, Messy Playkits and Oodlebadoodle. Bi-Rite brought their adorable ice cream truck; and holiday libations were provided by Best Beverage Catering. Off the Grid curated the food offerings and provided all the event infrastructure from tents and stages to sound and stanchions.

Thanks to everyone who made this year's event such a success!

See photos of the events on the Civic Center Initiative Flickr page.

Civic Center CBD Holiday Fanfare Returned

Civic Center CBD sponsored sidewalk concerts this holiday season, featuring San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) brass quintets. The 14 one-hour concerts added a festive element to the District along Grove and Van Ness. Thank you to SFCM and all the CBD Ambassadors who coordinated the set up for each concert.

Expanded District Services Began January 1, 2020

Expanded services and coverage area of the CBD began January 1, if you see graffiti, trash or a safety concern, contact Dispatch for assistance.

(415) 781-4700

[email protected]

HOURS OF SERVICE

Clean Team and Ambassadors

7am-7pm/7 days a week

Night Ambassadors

Tuesay-Saturday 6pm-11pm


	Lt. Dean Hall (l) and Louie Hammonds (r) presented with 2019 Civic Star Awards

2019 CIVIC STARS

The CBD's 2019 Civic Star Awards were presented to Lieutenant Dean Hall of the San Francisco Police Department and Louie Hammonds of Urban Alchemy.

Both award recipients went above and beyond in 2019 to make Civic Center a safer and more welcoming place for all.

Thank you Louie and Dean for your exemplary service to our District and our City.

Benefit Districts Join Forces to Beautify UN Plaza


	Before

The UN Plaza Fountain is closed for a year as the San Francisco Department of Public Works addresses issues related to drainage. Working with the City and Mid Market CBD we seized the opportunity to use the fountain's vast construction barricade (over 100 feet long) as a means to bring color and vibrancy to the Plaza. The barricade now offers blue skies, bold colors, greenery and the feeling of a festive marketplace in the Plaza 24/7.

Special thanks to Public Works and Creatis Group for their expertise and collaborative spirit.

CIVIC CENTER EVENTS & PROGRAMS

Skaters enjoy Civic Center Plaza's Winter Park Ice Rink,

which returned for its second year November 22, 2019-January 5, 2020.

Friday Farmers Market Continues in 2020

The new Friday Farmers Market continues every week in 2020, featuring fresh produce from Heart of the City Farmers Market and hot food options from a wealth of cuisines!

Red Umbrellas Open Air Fine Art Gallery in Civic Center Plaza

The popular open air art gallery, Red Umbrellas, started opening their signature-red sunshades and featuring local artists' works in Civic Center Plaza once a month (weather permitting).

To see the schedule of when to spot the red umbrellas in Civic Center, visit the Red Umbrellas' site.

Oktoberfest at Bi-Rite Welcomed Fall with Beer, German Food & Mini Golf

Did you get to enjoy brats and beer at Bi-Rite Civic Center last October? Oktoberfest-goers enjoyed gourmet brats and pretzels with their keg filled glasses of beer amidst 9 holes of FREE miniature golf in Bi-Rite's new beer and wine garden. Thank you to District sponsor Lendlease for making every Friday in October so fun for so many people. Mother nature deserves a thanks too for all the warm sunshine.

Look for details on Oktoberfest 2020 in the coming months. In the meantime, enjoy Bi-Rite for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a glass of wine in 2020.

Also, book your next private event at Bi-Rite Civic Center!

The Continuous Thread Brought Thought Provoking Art to Civic Center


	Image of Continuous Thread projected on SFPL, courtesy of SFAC

To mark the 50th year anniversary of the occupation of Alcatraz, and emphasize accurate artistic representation of Native Americans, the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) launched the ambitious American Indian Initiative that celebrates the culture and contributions of local Indigenous Peoples. Spanning three months, The Continuous Thread: Celebrating Our Interwoven Histories, Identities and Contributions included 14 public events including exhibitions, community celebrations, concerts, a film festival, a fashion show, and a temporary light-art project on the side of the Asian Art Museum and San Francisco Public Library Main Branch.

DISTRICT NEWS

Car-Free Market Street Approved, Starts January 29

In October the SFMTA Board unanimously approved the Better Market Street project, which centers on increasing pedestrian and cyclist safety along the corridor. Prior to the vote, the City also submitted a letter of support to restrict personal and ride hailing vehicles from Market Street, and encouraged the Vision Zero "Quick Builds" to begin soon. Starting January 29, these "Quick Builds" are rolling out, they include:

Making Market a car-free zone east of 10th Street
100 new cross-street passenger and commercial loading zones to accommodate safe loading
Peak hour loading restrictions on Market Street to reduce conflicts between people on bicycles, transit and commercial vehicles
Extending existing transit-only lane east from Third to Main Street, the segment of Market with the most transit service, and making it Muni-only (taxis and non-Muni buses will no longer be allowed)
Adding bicycle intersection improvements at Eighth, Page, Battery, and Valencia streets

Other elements will roll out in phases -- from Fifth to Eighth streets is phase 1, Market from Fifth to Second streets is phase 2, and Market from Van Ness to Octavia Boulevard will comprise phase 3 -- and will include elements such as building out wider sidewalks and protected bike lanes. Phase 1 construction will extend into 2022.

If you're wondering how as a driver you'll cross Market Street, more info can be found on the Better Market Street site. Also, if you have questions or concerns about this project or its upcoming construction impacts, please contact Cristina C. Olea, PE; Better Market Street Project Manager: [email protected].


	Debuting soon: The Market Square Food Hall

Market Square Adding Even More Dining Options

Market on Market founder Chris Foley will soon unveil a new food hall in the spaces formerly occupied by Bon Marche and Dirty Water. Adjacent to his Market on Market in the Twitter Building, the new food hall will include five vendors: " Mensho Tokyo (their second location), as well as Northern Ducks (which will serve items such as Peking duck and dim sum); Hot Bird (serving Nashville-style hot chicken), 3-19 Coffee (which also has a Mission location) and Heroic Deli , an Italian-style deli," according to Hoodline. While the food hall and Market are adjacent, Tom Kolbeck, a representative for the project, told Hoodline that they are two, "separate sites and entities," and that the food hall will "only offer cooked, prepared foods from restaurant vendors." The food hall is expected to open in the next few months.

More New Places to Eat Coming to the District

Construction is still underway at two new spots opening in the District: Yakiniku Shodai is moving into the former Kaya space (1420 Market St.), while Dumpling Home is moving into Bai Thong Thai's former space at 298 Gough St., according to Eater SF.

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Bowes Center Tops Off, To Open This Year

In December the San Francisco Conservatory of Music celebrated its topping off of the Bowes Center building as it reached its final height; the building is set to open this year. When competed, the space will feature concert venues, classrooms and student housing. If interested in seeing the progress close up, you can sign up to take a tour of the building on the SFCM site.

Asian Art Museum Expansion Continues

In October the Asian Art Museum announced it had raised $100 million for its ongoing expansion project, which is scheduled to be completed in April. We look forward to sharing details of their expansion Grand Opening celebration!