Welcome to your India Basin Newsletter for June

Welcome to the latest newsletter for the India Basin Park Project, a partnership between the City of San Francisco, Trust for Public Land, the San Francisco Parks Alliance, the A. Philip Randolph Institute and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.

Together, we will build a park that is both spectacular and crucial to the health of San Francisco’s southeast communities, which have been historically underserved. The development of the land at 900 Innes, acquired in 2014, will transform a post-industrial brownfield into a legacy waterfront park, with an emphasis on public access, social equity, recreation, resiliency, and habitat restoration and enhancement.

In this newsletter, you'll receive regular updates on construction progress, updates on the project's Equitable Development Plan, and invitations to events and happenings around the project.

Free Community Swim Day Kicks Off Summer in the Bayview

As part of the India Basin Waterfront Park Project and its Equitable Development Plan (EDP), we celebrated the end of the school year and start of summer in the Bayview with a free community swim day at Martin Luther King Jr. Pool on June 1. Attendees celebrated by hopping in the water, grabbing free kites, receiving information on swimming programs for summer and fall, and more. Congratulations on finishing the school year and we look forward to seeing you out in our parks this summer. If you're interested in the program, please email [email protected] to get on the interest list for future sessions. 

Park Services Manager Robert Watkins Retires After 40 Years

Robert Watkins, who oversaw tremendous park improvements and built deep community connections in the southeastern neighborhoods, has retired after 40 years of city service, 38 working for Rec and Park.

He has managed Park Service Area (PSA) 3, which encompasses much of the southeast portions of the city including 25 parks from the Bayview to Excelsior, for nearly 10 years. This area includes a wide array of parks with some of the highest concentration of athletic and recreational facilities in the city including McLaren Park, Crocker Amazon, Hilltop, Bayview Playground, Palega Rec Center, Cayuga Playground, Excelsior Playground and many more.

Robert has overseen tremendous positive change in his parks and facilities over his time as manager. He has worked with our capital division to implement a wide range of projects from Hilltop Park to McLaren Park, and has worked on the plans for key upcoming projects including the India Basin Waterfront Park Project. 

He has been a great ambassador who built strong relationships with the community. For many years, Robert and his team have been leaders on the Parks and Open Space team in community collaboration and managing volunteer work events at PSA 3 parks. Their ongoing collaboration with Habitat for Humanity and hosting other large volunteer groups has been an important part of the development and improvement of his parks. For many years, the PSA 3 team hosted the most volunteer hours of any of the park service areas.

Thank you Robert for all that you've done for our parks and city! We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and look forward to seeing you back in our parks soon!

India Basin Shoreline Park Specialty Construction Training

Job readiness trainings are continuing as a part of the recruiting process for the India Basin Waterfront Park specialty construction training. These free trainings, in partnership with the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) and its CityBuild Academy, are delivered by union professionals with other benefits such as tool and union initiation assistance, employment sponsorship as a union apprentice with members as laborers. These trainings follow strategies highlighted in the project's Equitable Development Plan, following the initiative to provide Bayview-Hunters Point residents ample training opportunities for construction and post-construction jobs at the park.

Orientations are ongoing, with upcoming sessions including on June 21 and July 6 from 2 to 4 p.m. If you would like to RSVP for an orientation, contact Eva Hopkins by email at [email protected] or call (415) 821-4777. For more information, click the link below.

The Box Shop Mural Fest on June 11 & 12

Join the Box Shop (951 Hudson Avenue) on Saturday, June 11 from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 12  from noon to 4 p.m. for its Mural Fest. View and celebrate more than 80 mural installations covering the Box Shop’s exterior and inner yard in Bayview-Hunters Point! The Festival will host live art-making, performances, and mural tours, with the chance to meet the muralists and other Box Shop creators. For more information, including the daily schedules, click the link below. 

Art on Innes Build Day on June 18

Join the India Basin Neighborhood Association (IBNA) for its next Art on Innes installation on Saturday, June 18 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. across from 800 Innes Avenue. No experience is needed for this volunteer day. Wear comfortable clothes and work gloves. IBNA will supply water and a snack. For more information, click the link below.

Juneteenth Festival at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater on June 18 

Join the San Francisco Citywide Black Student Union's first annual Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 18 from noon to 5 p.m. at the recently renovated Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park. The free family-friendly event event will promote local entrepreneurs, creators, and artists while celebrating the varieties of creativity within Black culture. There will be entertainment, food, games, performances, vendors and more! For more information and to RSVP, click the link below. 

Juneteenth/Father's Day Celebration at Gilman Playground June 19 

Join SF Black Wallstreet for its Bayview Juneteenth and Father's Day Celebration at Gilman Playground (903 Gilman Avenue) on Sunday, June 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be food vendors, the Black Millionaire Marketplace, performances, amusement park rides for children, community resources and more. The vision for this celebration is born out of our community’s call for an anchoring manifestation of Black culture and economic health in San Francisco. This 157th observance of Juneteenth honors the centuries-old tradition of advocacy for Black liberation and empowerment. For more information, click the link below. 

Celebrate the EcoCenter's 12th Anniversary on June 25

Join us and community partners for the EcoCenter's 12th Anniversary on Saturday, June 25 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be food, activities, performances, and more. Additionally, the first 150 people to RSVP will get a free commemorative gift! Celebrate community and the legacy of the EcoCenter in Heron's Head Park. For more information and to register, click the link below. 

India Basin Tech Hub Offers Free Wi-Fi & Device Lending

Have some work to do or a meeting to take, but sick of being cooped up inside? Visit the India Basin Shoreline Park Tech Hub (Hunters Point Boulevard and Hawes Street), which offers free Wi-Fi access, laptop and tablet lending and on-site technical support to local residents. The Tech Hub also offers a variety of community services from job assistance to clean slate support and more. It operates Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. See you at the park!

For updates, be sure to follow APRI's Instagram account at the link below.

Sankofa Makers Market Wraps Up Season Before Summer

Last month, we hosted our last Sankofa Makers Market at India Basin Shoreline Park before the summer. This series features BIPOC-run businesses from the Bayview-Hunters Point community. Attendees purchased local crafts and products, while playing games, eating food, and enjoying a beautiful day at the park. Thank you to everyone who attended, as well as to all of our partners and vendors who made this event possible. A special thanks as well to Maya Rodgers from the San Francisco Parks Alliance for coordinating this series. Stay tuned for more activations at the park this summer! 

India Basin Project Featured in SF Apartment Association Magazine

Check out the May issue of the San Francisco Apartment Association magazine that features an interview with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg, in which he discusses our parks including the India Basin Waterfront Park Project. Read his interview on pages 20-26 at the link below. 

900 Innes Remediation and Phase 2 Update

We are getting close to completing first phase work at 900 Innes and anticipate removing the water barrier by the end of the month. From there, we will have some follow-up work with the aim to finish remediation in July. Stay tuned for an event to celebrate this milestone! 

For the second phase, the 900 Innes Park Development Project, we are in the process of negotiating a contract with Swinerton to build the park, which will go to the Recreation and Park Commission in July. We hope to share more details in the next few months and anticipate breaking ground on the second phase of construction in late summer/early fall. Stay up to date on the project at the link below!