Piazza, Park and Pomodoro – Updates from North Beach

Little Italy is no longer little, nor has it been for a while.  As a matter of fact, what once was the Italian District on the West Coast has morphed/transformed into one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the Bay Area.  With that vibrancy comes change and below are updates on three major community projects previously reported by L’Italo-Americano.

Piazza St. Francis, The Poet’s Plaza

The proposed piazza for the 600 block of Vallejo Street between Grant and Columbus Avenue is still under review by city officials and neighborhood groups.  The proposed piazza could require the closure of Vallejo Street redirecting traffic north along Grant Avenue.

Concerns voiced by some residents continued to be focused on whether that block of Vallejo should be permanently closed, or whether some traffic should be allowed to flow through.  Public hearings have been spirited with both sides presenting their arguments resulting in introduction of a suggested redesign for the plaza that would allow some traffic to continue on Vallejo through to Columbus Avenue.

Further public hearings along with consideration by the SFMTA may result in a hearing on the permit in June of 2016.  If approved, a hearing would be set at Public Works in the fall of 2016, and then the project would go to the Board of Supervisors for a vote in late 2016.  If the plaza passes those hurdles, a permit would be issued in early 2017.

Joe Di Maggio Park & Playground

In 2014 L’Italo-Americano reported in-depth on the plans for the improved Joe DiMaggio park and playground and now we can report the new playground reopened in Winter 2015 to the delight of neighbors and beyond.  The playground and park were named for the local baseball legend at a location that has been a neighborhood landmark recreation area since the 1930s.

The new playground and park has 50 new trees, 12,000 sq. ft. of planted area, a completely new children’s play area in the center of the park far from street traffic, new tennis courts and a resurfaced and renovated sports court area with more basketball hoops.  The playground connects directly to the new North Beach Library via the former Mason Street, now the Mason Green pedestrian way, and to the North Beach Pool and Clubhouse. The renovated playground provides improved facilities for children, families and seniors.

The success of this project is due in large part to the donations made by hundreds of citizensthrough their purchase of commemorative tiles that encircle the beautifully remodeled park.  To date, tile sales have contributed $350,000 to the park renovation. People are having fun locating their tiles along the perimeter.  A small quantity of tiles are still available by ordering online or via mail-in order form available along with ordering information at http://dimaggioplayground.org/donor-tiles-around-the-park.   Donations to the playground for tiles are tax deductible.

As L’Italo-Americano highlighted in the September 3, 2015 issue, Italians were instrumental in establishing San Francisco’s first produce district and farmer’s markets.  Over 100 years later, North Beach may be doing it again.

According to the North Beach Neighbors organization, a recent survey they conducted indicated 225 of 229 respondents (98%) said they thought a farmers’ market would improve the North Beach neighborhood. For the allotted 50 spots at the potential market, there have already been 150+ applications through the Agricultural Institute of Marin.

For a brief time in 2012, there was a farmers market on Powell Street near Columbus Avenue. The proposal to establish a new market in North Beach has been under consideration for several years with three potential locations having been narrowed down to the one on Green Street between Columbus and Grant Avenues although attendees at a recent public meeting asked organizers to consider other locations including Greenwich between Columbus and Powell Streets and the Francisco Middle School parking lot.

The latest meeting on the proposed market was held on February 22 at the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club on Stockton Street, and, although it proved to be both lively and informative, no final decisions have been made. Additional community meetings are expected to be scheduled in the near future.