Nestled along the Central Waterfront, Crane Cove Park will soon receive a family- and pet-friendly makeover. At an estimated cost of $2.2 million, a Tot Lot, fenced-in dog run, and natural feature, “Rigger’s Yard,” will be added.
Construction is slated to start at the end of the year and be completed by next September. The two play areas, Rigger’s Yard and the Tot Lot, will be built slightly north of Building 49. Rigger’s Yard will feature “Ghost Piles” – tall cylindrical shapes rising from the ground – Keel Blocks – concrete cuboids used in shipbuilding and repair – and granite Cribbing Units; rectangular blocks deployed to create stacks to support heavy loads. Tot Lot elements will include two different-sized slides, a spinner, and a low-level swing structure.
The dog run will be created in the park’s southeastern corner next to the crane structures, divided into an 11,000-square-foot fenced large dog area, with 3,300-square-foot enclosure for small dogs. The play and dog run areas will be closed during construction; the rest of Crane Cove Park will remain open.
According to the Port of San Francisco, community outreach for the project was initially conducted from 2011 to 2017. Along the way, Dogpatch emerged as one of San Francisco’s fastest growing neighborhoods. More than one-third of the community’s households consist of families, significantly higher than the citywide average. Despite the population boom, associated public infrastructure has yet to catch up.
The Port recently visited the Potrero Kids and Red Bridge schools, where students voted on the play structure’s paint color. In May the Port presented design renderings for the play areas and dog runs to the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association (DNA), amongst other community groups.
“It could be a spectacular park if the Port stepped back and listened to the community,” said Donovan Lacy, DNA president. “We want the park to be something that benefits not only the Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, and Mission Bay communities, but also the broader San Francisco neighborhoods. But [the Port] needs to listen to what parents, grandparents, and caregivers have to say. The biggest thing for us when we looked at the playground was shading in the park. It doesn’t have a lot of shade, partly because the trees are new, and it can get very hot there on a sunny day. Some of the other concerns had to do with seating and what that actual toddler playground would look like. You want to create a space that is comfortable and enjoyable for the children as well as their caregivers.”
The Port is the managing authority for Crane Cove. Through a partnership with the San Francisco Parks Alliance, it secured project funding. The soon to be built features were included in the park’s 2017 Final Master Plan, designed by the infrastructure consulting firm, AECOM.
Building 49 will also undergo a transformation. Public restroom facilities opened last month on the northwest side, replacing the portable toilet at the northern end of the park. The YMCA, Daily Driver, and Dogpatch Paddle are set to be housed in the structure starting this fall.
Jessica Zimmer 
Tamala Motta