SF-based firms Field Operations and SITELAB Urban Studio are behind the new design. Photo: Courtesy of the Union Square Alliance.
San Francisco is moving ahead with a long-awaited redesign of Powell Street, securing $14.5 million in private funding to help transform one of the city's busiest tourist corridors.
Why it matters: The project is part of the city's broader effort to bring more visitors, workers and residents back to downtown.
Driving the news: Mayor Daniel Lurie signed legislation last week allowing San Francisco to accept $14.5 million from the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation, a nonprofit leading downtown's economic recovery.
The funding adds to roughly $26 million in public dollars already committed to the project.
State of play: The major overhaul of Powell Street will focus on the three-block stretch between Market and Geary streets that connects the cable car turnaround and Union Square.
The redesign includes wider sidewalks, new landscaping, upgraded cable car stops and additional space for outdoor dining, SFist reports.
Plans also call for decorative hanging lanterns and a large chandelier installation above the cable car turnaround.
What's next: Construction is expected to start as soon as this fall, with the revamped corridor expected to open in sometime next year.
