The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department announced that construction is slated to begin this summer on a major renovation of Portsmouth Square in San Francisco, a milieu known as “Chinatown’s living room.” SWA is the landscape architect and MEI Architects the project architect.

A pedestrian bridge that was built over Kearny Street in the 1960s—derided as San Francisco’s “most hated bridge”—will be removed from Portsmouth Square. Tearing down the pedestrian bridge will add another 20,000 square feet of pedestrian space to the plaza, restore historic sight lines, and reconnect the park with the surrounding neighborhood.

The decision to eliminate the bridge, and the park’s redesign more broadly, was informed by community input. A survey from 2017 polled Chinatown residents about the park and found a majority of citizens wanted the Kearny Street bridge taken down. The survey also polled what amenities residents hope to see in the revamped square.

Other noticeable changes the $73 million project will deliver include a new outdoor event space for cultural programming and daily informal use, a new and expanded community clubhouse, a revamped children’s playground with adult fitness equipment, new shading devices, and overall better accessibility.

The overhead fixtures that will be installed over Portsmouth Square will help support lanterns during Lunar New Year celebrations. Renderings show large gatherings taking place beneath the new canopies, and the upgraded community clubhouse topped with solar panels.

Infrastructure improvements will include new lighting, seating, planting, waterproofing, and drainage systems. San Francisco District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter, who represents Chinatown, said in a statement this project is a “major step forward in delivering a long-overdue renovation shaped by years of community input.”

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement the “improvements will help keep the park a welcoming public space that brings people together and ensure that Chinatown continues to thrive for generations to come, and I look forward to breaking ground this summer.”

SWA and MEI Architects are working in tandem with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission on the project. Swinerton Builders has been recommended to serve as contractor.

Portsmouth Square will close for construction and reopen in 2028.