Playland at 43rd Avenue, the temporary park planned for the shuttered Francis Scott Key Annex at 1351 42nd Ave., is on its way to becoming a reality.
Starting tomorrow, Outer Sunset residents can take part in the first of several community work weekends to pitch in on a community garden, paint skateboard ramps and more. (The site is normally closed to the public during construction.)
First built in the late 1910s or early '20s, Francis Scott Key Annex closed down because it was determined to be seismically unsound. Although the two-story school building is used for administrative purposes by the San Francisco Unified School District, the 1.25-acre concrete area is now one of the largest unused parcels of land in the Sunset, and local residents have taken notice.
Over the course of six community meetings led by Supervisor Katy Tang, adults, as well as local children and youths from the neighborhood, offered their ideas for what they wanted to see come of the space while SFUSD explores more permanent options.
The development of the park itself has not been without controversy, with neighbors concerned about the inclusion of a skateboard ramp and the potential for live music. While Playland will not become a live music venue, skate ramps were included in the final design.
In addition to the community garden and skateboard ramps, Playland will also have improved basketball courts, an artist’s courtyard with shipping container buildings for classes, and even a bike-riding course for kids.
Shipping containers will have a new purpose at Playland at 43rd Avenue: hosting art classes and other events (Photo: SF Planning)
While Playland will be close to Golden Gate Park, which is just two blocks away, the community center may offer a safer—and more conveniently located—environment for neighborhood children.
14-year Sunset resident John Funke lives across the street from the Annex. His two sons, who are 10 and 13 years old, have played basketball in the old Annex. He describes himself as Playland’s “number one cheerleader” and is part of the “coalition of the willing” that has brought the park to life, a coalition that includes SF Planning, SFUSD, the interdepartmental Pavement to Parks organization, SF Parks Alliance, and Supervisor Tang.
“I believe wholeheartedly that safety and security should focus on the youths in our community,” he said, ”giving them a safe space to go after school and on weekends to be active and commune with their friends and neighbors.”
SF Parks Alliance Program Manager Sahiti Karempudi, who is part of the coalition working on Playland, agrees. She's been working with the local non-profit Sunset Youth Services, which supports disadvantaged kids and teenagers. “We have a workforce agreement with them to come out twice a week to work on stewarding the space,” she says. “They’ll also help with running our Instagram account. They’re really excited to be part of this process.”
For this coming work weekend, participants won’t need to be professional gardeners or painters, just as long as they're ready to do what needs to be done. This weekend will see the beginnings of the community garden, led by Markos Major of Climate Action Now and an urban farm educator.
During the next work weekend, April 2nd-3rd, participants will have the opportunity to work on a ground mural with Leah Tumerman, the local artist behind the mural at Java Beach Cafe.
Funke, for one, is planning to be there this weekend. “I look forward to working on this, getting my hands dirty with my neighbors,” he says.
To stay updated on this and other work weekends, visit the Playland at 43rd Avenue Facebook group.
