Minnesota Street Grove Reopens as Urban Oasis

A renovated Minnesota Street Grove reopened last summer. The green space, tucked between 24th and 25th streets, is largely the creation of community efforts.

“This redevelopment and reopening has been a long time coming,” said Donovan Lacy, Dogpatch & Northwest Potrero Hill Green Benefit District (GBD) executive director. “It represents the culmination of years of work by community members, local business owners, San Francisco Public Works, and the Green Benefit District.”

The Minnesota Street Grove was first created in 2008 by Dogpatch and Potrero Hill residents. For many locals, the Grove has long been a hidden gem; a sliver of lush land lined with mature trees and natural landscaping in one of the City’s fastest-developing former industrial corridors. According to Lacy, the renewal project was born partly out of necessity: municipal requirements called for improved American Disability Act (ADA) accessibility, prompting the GBD to envision a broader renewal.

“The impetus for the renovation was City requirements to provide better ADA accessibility,” Lacy explained. “We took the opportunity not only to create a wider and more accessible pathway but also to install beautiful wooden benches and new planting areas. These improvements make the Grove safer, more comfortable, and more enjoyable for everyone.”

The renovation added a wider ADA-compliant walkway, new irrigation systems, and expanded green space, with improved pedestrian safety features such as a sidewalk bulb-out at the Grove’s southern edge. 

“Some of the elements that will likely go unnoticed are the improvements to the watering system,” Lacy said. “They’ll allow us to plant and maintain more green space while reducing our overall maintenance costs.”

The improvements fit into the GBD’s mission to build and sustain green, accessible public spaces in Dogpatch and Potrero Hill. 

“The Minnesota Grove exists in sharp contrast to the industrial areas that surround it,” said Lacy. “It represents a vision of what our public spaces can become; inviting places where residents and visitors can stop for a moment and enjoy their natural surroundings.”

From San Francisco Public Works’ perspective, the Grove’s reopening is more than a local success story. It’s a model for how public agencies can partner with neighborhood groups to reimagine shared spaces.

“It’s the reopening of a public space that was already unique, beautiful, and beloved, but now safer, more
accessible, and set up to withstand decades of community use,” said Benjamin Peterson, San Francisco Public Works public information officer. “Our goal was to enhance the Grove’s amazing original design rather than reimagine it entirely, and we think we succeeded.”

Peterson said the project’s biggest challenge was balancing construction needs with preservation of existing plant life. 

“Working within the Grove, especially when constructing the new walkway, was challenging due to space constraints and the close proximity of so much vegetation,” he said. “It was a tough balancing act to work efficiently without damaging the landscape.”

To protect the Grove’s character, Public Works installed temporary fencing and collaborated closely with the GBD to troubleshoot where planned walkway construction overlapped with planted areas. 

“We worked hand-in-hand from design through construction,” Peterson said. “Donovan Lacy and Andrea Banas from the GBD were incredible liaisons between the project team and the community, and their operations manager, Juan Lainz, was integral to the work on planting and irrigation plans. They were fantastic partners every step of the way.”

The Minnesota Street Grove project aligns with San Francisco’s larger urban greening and climate resilience goals, according to Peterson. Through Public Works and its Bureau of Urban Forestry, the City has committed to expanding canopy coverage and equitable access to green spaces, particularly in historically overlooked neighborhoods such as the Bayview, South-of-Market, Dogpatch, and Potrero Hill.

“In 2015, the City adopted its Urban Forest Plan, which aims to plant 30,000 new trees by 2040,” Peterson said. “We’re focusing on parts of the City with the lowest street tree coverage which are areas impacted most by heat and development.”

In 2023, the department secured a $12 million federal grant to plant and maintain 3,500 new street trees in low-canopy neighborhoods. The program includes a workforce development component, hiring 30 people to gain hands-on experience in surveying, planting, and maintaining trees, helping prepare them for long-term employment in the public or nonprofit sectors.

With construction complete, Minnesota Street Grove stewardship now returns to the Green Benefit District, which’ll handle day-to-day maintenance, tree care, and graffiti abatement. Public Works will sustain the surrounding streets, sidewalks, and curb ramps.

“This project also included a variety of street and sidewalk improvements along Minnesota, 23rd, 24th, and 25th streets,” Peterson said. “We repaved Minnesota Street, reconstructed sidewalks, and built new ADA-compliant curb ramps to make the area safer for pedestrians.”

The improvements extend beyond aesthetics. They reflect an evolving philosophy about how green spaces contribute to urban well-being. 

As Lacy put it, “The Minnesota Grove invites residents and visitors to stop for a moment and enjoy the natural surroundings. We hope neighbors will continue to enjoy this urban oasis for years to come.”

The Green Benefit District and Public Works plan to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony in early to mid-December, officially celebrating the Grove’s reopening. For long-time Dogpatch residents, it’ll mark the return of a favorite neighborhood space and what community collaboration can achieve.

“We’re thrilled to reopen this beloved green public space,” said Lacy. “It’s been a true community effort, and we can’t wait to see everyone there.”

^{Photo, top: Minnesota Grove – Renovation II. Photo: Steven J. Moss}