After years of faded storefronts and eerily quiet sidewalks, merchants at Fisherman's Wharf say a new city plan has finally given them something rare in recent years: optimism. Business owners told KPIX they are banking on a proposed public plaza and lagoon upgrades to bring back the foot traffic that vanished during the pandemic.
The Port of San Francisco has rolled out a multi-phase "Fisherman’s Wharf Forward" program that would add a public plaza on Taylor Street, an inner-lagoon overlook, and new lighting to spotlight the working fishing fleet, with near-term improvements targeted to wrap up next summer. According to the Port of San Francisco, the plan focuses on Taylor and Jefferson streets and the Inner Lagoon, aiming to advance long-term resilience projects that will protect the wharf for decades.
In a video report, KPIX's John Ramos walked the wharf and found shopkeepers reminiscing about the "glory days" while pinning their hopes on the new plaza to lure back families and tour groups. The segment features vendors discussing flat sales and longtime restaurants now boarded up, with merchants stating that the promise of fresh public space and regular events could change everything for their bottom lines, per CBS News.
What’s Being Torn Down - And When
The planned plaza would take over the lot where Alioto’s Restaurant stood until it closed in 2022 after nearly a century on the wharf, a loss widely noted by local outlets at the time. SFGATE reported on the 2022 closure, and regional permit records show the Port filed demolition and repair work for the parcel at 2829–2835 Taylor Street. The Bay Conservation and Development Commission's permit tracker lists that filing and related work on the Taylor Street block, according to BCDC.
Port staff have already scheduled demolition work on the calendar and warn of temporary sidewalk and lane closures along Taylor Street. At the same time, crews are on-site, with near-term enhancements slated for completion by summer 2026. The project's public page and construction update outline demolition activity scheduled for December 2025 through January 2026, and includes documents and contractor outreach materials for nearby businesses and residents. According to the Port of San Francisco, outreach will continue as designs are finalized and permits are secured.
Merchants Hope, But Worries Remain
Merchants are glad to see any plan that might bring a steady stream of visitors back, but many caution that a shiny new plaza alone will not solve deeper problems, such as long-term vacancies, high commercial rents, and day-to-day safety concerns on the street. Vendors interviewed in the CBS/KPIX piece stated that they require consistent foot traffic and basic maintenance to keep their jobs and leases viable, while local reporting has chronicled a series of long-time closures that have hollowed out parts of the corridor. CBS News and SFGATE both detail those accounts.
Fishermen and boat owners have weighed in too, saying improved lighting, an Inner Lagoon overlook, and better fish-landing facilities could strengthen the wharf’s maritime identity and make life a little easier for working crews. That perspective surfaced in local coverage and on KQED’s Forum, where representatives from Port and fishers discussed resilience upgrades and short-term activations aimed at serving both tourists and the commercial fishing industry. KQED hosted that conversation.
What Comes Next
City and Port officials say a new round of community meetings and permit filings will shape the final design, and merchants should be prepared for short-term closures, along with pop-up opportunities, as construction progresses. The mayor's office has cast the plaza as one piece of a broader push to revive tourism and boost small businesses. Officials say outreach will continue as bids, permits, and demolition timelines are locked in. For residents and business owners, that translates to keeping an eye out for contractor notices and neighborhood alerts in the coming weeks, according to the Mayor's Office.
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