Lurie proposes naming portion of Embarcadero Park after former Mayor Art Agnos

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - As part of a plan to build a waterfront park on the Embarcadero, Mayor Daniel Lurie on Friday moved to name a portion of the new space after one of his predecessors.

Art Agnos Plaza is named in honor of the former mayor who, following the 1989 earthquake, chose to remove the Embarcadero Freeway, which reconnected San Francisco’s downtown with the waterfront.

"When the Loma Prieta earthquake struck San Francisco, it was Art Agnos who helped guide our city through one of the most challenging moments in its history — and who seized that moment to transform our iconic waterfront for generations to come," Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a press release. "As we once again reimagine a vital part of our waterfront, it is only fitting that we honor former Mayor Agnos’s legacy."

Dig deeper:

The renaming is part of a planned renovation of the existing Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park. The southern portion of the future park will be renamed for Mayor Agnos, while the northern half will be known as Sue Bierman commons.

The five-acre waterfront park will be formally named Embarcadero Park. The proposal to rename the park will go before the Recreation and Park Commission’s Capital Committee on Sept. 2.

Embarcadero Park will take two existing public spaces and combine them into a cohesive, five-acre waterfront park with lawns, picnic and dining areas, performance and recreation spaces, as well as improved pedestrian connections, an enclosed dog play area, and gathering spaces for both everyday use as well as large civic events.

The project is expected to break ground in late 2026 and be completed by early 2028.

By the numbers:

Construction is supported by a $20 million fundraising commitment from the Downtown Development Corporation, which includes a $10 million commitment from Crankstart, a foundation headquartered in the city.

"The Embarcadero waterfront is one of San Francisco’s defining public spaces. What was once shaped by a freeway is now the vibrant community we see today, thanks to Mayor Art Agnos’s vision for a more open, welcoming waterfront," Shola Olatoye, the CEO of the Downtown Development Corporation said in a press release. "Renaming a portion of the park for Mayor Agnos is an opportunity to honor the legacy and create a true crown jewel for San Francisco. We are grateful to Crankstart for their leadership and to our donors and supporters for stepping up to match the funds Crankstart is committing for the project. We are committed to raising the remaining capital."

Local perspective:

Sue Bierman was a neighborhood activist, planning commissioner, and member of the Board of Supervisors. She died in 2006. Bierman was a leader in the San Francisco Freeway Revolt, which helped stop plans to extend a freeway through the Panhandle and Golden Gate Park.

"Art Agnos and Sue Bierman made bold choices that opened up San Francisco and created new possibilities for public space," Sarah Madland, the general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, said in a statement. "That spirit is alive in this project. Thanks to an extraordinary partnership between the city and our private and philanthropic partners, we have the chance to create a spectacular new park that connects downtown to the waterfront and builds on the incredible energy we’re seeing downtown."

The Capital Committee will, during the Sept. 2 meeting, also consider a donor recognition program for the new park, which would see qualifying donors commemorated in the finished park.

"It’s fitting that the beautiful new Embarcadero Park will have spaces dedicated to Former Mayor Art Agnos and Sue Bierman, two community champions who were instrumental in turning a frantic freeway into an accessible and enjoyable waterfront," District 3 supervisor Danny Sauter said in a press release. "As future generations enjoy this space, the legacy of those leaders who had courage to make hard decisions will be on full display."

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