'When We Rise' To Replace Damaged Castro Rainbow Crosswalks Before Pride

'When We Rise' To Replace Damaged Castro Rainbow Crosswalks Before PrideThe east (left) and north (right) rainbow crosswalks that will be replaced. (Photos: Steven Bracco/Hoodline)
Steven Bracco
Published on May 19, 2016

As we reported over the weekend, the rainbow crosswalks at Castro and 18th Street remain damaged after multiple cleaning attempts from being covered up for the filming of the ABC miniseries When We Rise.

Andrea Aiello as the rainbow crosswalks were being installed in September 2014 (Photo: Castro CBD/Facebook)

After taking some time this week to determine the next step in the clean-up process, Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District's (CBD) Executive Director Andrea Aiello has informed us that the two most damaged crosswalks, the east and north ones, will be replaced. The costs associated with replacing the crosswalks will be paid for by ABC and the production company.

Aiello told us in an email that the plan is to have the sidewalks replaced in time for Pride next month. "The CBD and the city agencies are bending over backwards to ensure they get replaced by Pride," she said. Likewise, "The individual staff working on When We Rise have been incredible in their commitment to get this done by Pride."

"There are quite a few layers of bureaucracy between ABC and the City to get this done, so things are a bit fluid right now," she noted, when asked about a timeline. However, "I am fairly confident that in the next month we'll be treated to the experience of installing the rainbow crosswalks once again."

Castro resident and longtime gay activist Cleve Jones, whose forthcoming memoir was the basis for When We Rise, told us that he's been in contact with the producers daily to talk about the clean-up. "I'm frustrated that none of the multiple attempts to clean the crosswalks have worked," he said. But, he says, "I'm confident that they'll fix it."

"It's unfortunate whenever public property is damaged," said Supervisor Scott Wiener. "I'm grateful the production company stepped up so quickly to remedy the situation." The rainbow crosswalks, he said, "have become a key feature of our neighborhood, and we need to keep them in shape."

The east and north rainbow crosswalks covered on Friday May 6th.

The crosswalks at the intersection had been covered on May 5th for a scene filmed the following day outside Gyro Express, which dressed up as the former Star PharmacyThe remaining two crosswalks, the south and west ones, were covered only briefly on Saturday afternoon in advance of a scene being filmed at Harvey's, which was reverted back to its former incarnation as the Elephant Walk.

Black residue remains on the north crosswalk.

After the material covering all four crosswalks was pulled up after filming, black residue remained on the two crosswalks that had been covered up the longest, the east and north crosswalks. Because the south and west crosswalks had only been covered up for the day, the material come up much more easily and reacted better to the cleaning that took place last week.

Palm trees covered along Castro St on Saturday April 30th.

Readers also reported that some of the palm trees that had been covered up on April 30th were not looking very well. Aiello tells us that at this time they're looking into any damage done to the palm trees and will make a determination soon about whether they will also need to be replaced.