City Advances Plans To Revitalize Lower Polk's Austin Alley

City Advances Plans To Revitalize Lower Polk's Austin AlleyRendering: Interstice Architects
Carrie Sisto
Published on August 14, 2017

The city is accepting public comment on plans to improve Austin Alley as part of the Polk Streetscape project.

The plans were presented by the San Francisco Department of Public Works to a meeting of the Lower Polk Neighbors on August 9th.

Image: SF DPW

“The concept presented at the meeting is pretty close to the final design,” said agency spokesperson Coma Te. The plans were derived from The Lower Polk Alleyways District Vision Plan, which had an extensive community planning process, he said. 

Current plans for upgrading the alley include nine new street trees and an elevated plaza near Polk Street that would include café-style seating. 

IMAGE: SF DPW

The plans would also remove the parking lane through the alley, giving more space for sidewalks and three planters for rain gardens.

The area of the alley behind a new apartment building, The Austin, being constructed at 1545 Pine St., will be paved with a permeable substance to provide better water management.

Austin Alley in its current state | Photo: Carrie Sisto/Hoodline

DPW will consider the public feedback it receives on the plans as it moves into the detailed design phase, which Te said is anticipated to take 4-6 months, starting in fall 2017 and continuing into spring of 2018.

Once the final detailed design is complete, DPW aims to coordinate construction on the Austin Alley project with a similar project in nearby Fern Alley under segment six of the Polk Streetscape Project, Te said.

Image: SF DPW

That segment is expected to start in May 2018, but construction schedules are subject to change due to weather, equipment malfunctions, unforeseen field conditions or other potential causes of delay, Te said.

For more information and an updated schedule for the project, head to www.sfpublicworks/polk.