Tomorrow: Friends Of Kenny Alley Celebrate Transformation Of 'Dangerous Eyesore'

Tomorrow: Friends Of Kenny Alley Celebrate Transformation Of 'Dangerous Eyesore'Photo: Will Carruthers/Hoodline
Will Carruthers
Published on December 09, 2016

Tomorrow, Excelsior residents will celebrate the transformation of long-neglected Kenny Alley.

A ribbon cutting ceremony—1-2pm Saturday, December 10th—marks the completion of an 18-month beautification project that aimed to transform the alley from a "dangerous eyesore to an urban oasis," according to a press release issued by the Friends of Kenny Alley

Volunteers clean and paint the alley in April 2016. | Photo: Friends of Kenny Alley/Facebook

Three Excelsior residents founded the Friends of Kenny Alley in June 2015 with the goal of improving the space, which has been "long-known to residents and businesses of the Excelsior as a blighted and unkempt set of public stairs."

In addition to resurfacing the stairs and installing new banisters and lighting, the group painted fences lining the alley with mountain murals, planted trees and added a vertical cactus garden.

Volunteers paint the Mountain mural. | Photo: Friends of Kenny Alley/Facebook

In the final stages of the project, Precita Eyes Muralists installed a 47-panel waterfall mosaic on the staircase.

Kim Jensen, an art teacher at City Arts and Tech High School, assembled the mosaic panels with the help of students and volunteers during the spring semester. 

Volunteers assemble a mosaic panel. | Photo: Friends of Kenny Alley/Facebook

The San Francisco Parks Alliance, Excelsior Action Group and the Friends of Kenny Alley are co-hosting tomorrow's celebration.

The improvements were funded by a Community Challenge Grant, an Excelsior Collaborative Community Action Grant and individual donors.