San Francisco’s most-watched cable car corner is officially getting a makeover. Today, Mayor Daniel Lurie signed legislation to accept a $14.5 million grant to overhaul the Powell Street cable car turnaround at Market and Powell, reimagining the three-block stretch as a people-first promenade with wider sidewalks, more outdoor dining, upgraded lighting and landscaping, and a big new visual centerpiece: a starburst chandelier suspended above the historic turntable. City officials say construction is slated to start in fall 2026, with substantial completion targeted for 2027.
In a post on X, Mayor Daniel Lurie highlighted the legislation, thanked the Downtown Development Corporation and private partners backing the effort, and framed the redesign as a move to create a “world-class gateway” for people arriving in San Francisco.
The Powell Street cable car turnaround is getting a major upgrade. Today I signed legislation accepting a $14.5 million grant to help transform this iconic spot into a world-class gateway for everyone who comes to San Francisco.
— Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 (@DanielLurie) June 10, 2026
The redesign includes new and widened sidewalks,… pic.twitter.com/Td69pFgcmB
Design highlights
The redesign, led by Field Operations and SITELAB Urban Studio, calls for replacing the metal parklets along Powell with continuous, widened sidewalks and a unified red-brick roadway along the cable car tracks. The plan adds trees, benches, and space for sidewalk cafes, turning what is now a cramped tourist funnel into more of a strolling promenade.
At the Market and Powell intersection, the proposal features a large starburst chandelier and art-nouveau-inspired hanging lanterns that frame views of the cable cars, with stop areas reworked to improve safety and queuing, according to Visit Union Square.
Funding and who’s paying
To lock in the money, the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution authorizing the Department of Public Works to accept and spend up to $14.5 million from the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation for the Powell Street Improvement Project, according to the City and County of San Francisco’s Legistar record.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the $14.5 million pledge comes from an investor group led by Katherine August-deWilde, along with several hotel and property owners, as part of a broader private fundraising campaign meant to help cover the roughly $40 million to $45 million total project cost.
Timeline and construction
The project has moved into the construction-document phase, and the city has partnered with Clark Construction for preconstruction work, with physical construction expected to kick off in late 2026 and a ribbon-cutting targeted for late 2027, according to Visit Union Square. Designers and city officials describe the schedule as aggressive, aiming the have major work wrapped up in time for the downtown holiday rush.
Downtown context
City Hall is positioning the Powell Street redo as a centerpiece of Mayor Lurie’s effort to revive downtown commerce and strengthen the Union Square gateway. The San Francisco Chronicle notes that the corridor pulls in tens of thousands of visitors a day and is closely tied to the new Downtown Development Corporation and the administration’s Heart of the City recovery plan.
Business groups say that if the fundraising stays on track and the construction timeline holds, the upgraded streetscape could help lure retailers and tourists back to a stretch of Powell that has long been one of San Francisco’s most photographed, but lately not always its most beloved, blocks.
