SF celebrates revamped United Nations Plaza, feels hopeful for future of Civic Center
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Reopening just in time for APEC is United Nations Plaza in San Francisco.
It has gone through a makeover and the hope is this is the start of a much brighter future.
From a deputy dancing to skateboarders skating, there was a lot of fanfare Wednesday for the reopening of San Francisco's United Nations Plaza.
"We want this to be an exciting place for the community," said Mayor London Breed.
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The plaza got a multi-million dollar facelift, complete with fitness equipment, permanent ping-pong tables, cornhole and more. A new skate park was at the heart of the project.
"Nothing is going to make this space more exciting than to see the skateboard community completely descend on this area like never before," Breed said.
A longtime hub of the open-air drug market, the city's working to clean the plaza up ahead of APEC -- the economic summit expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the city next week.
"I'm at the point now that I'll do anything to get my neighborhood back," said Del Seymour, founder of Code Tenderloin.
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Seymour is the founder of multiple nonprofits helping people in the Tenderloin, and a longtime resident.
"This appears to be the normalization of an area that just a week ago was totally hectic," Seymour said.
"I think if they empower skaters we're going to be able to keep this space clean," said Karl Watson, Daly City resident.
The skating community ready to play its part but is also anticipating some challenges.
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"People that are on drugs trying to come around and sleep on the ledges, that's going to be a big problem," Watson said.
The city promised more police presence at the plaza, hoping to keep it a safer space.
"This is a first step, but let's not let it be the last. We still have a lot of work to do," said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott.
But not everyone's pumped about the project which pushed the farmers market down the way.
"There's less space and it's more scrabbled. As you can see there, people are tripping over and trucks are getting all confused in the morning," said Leora Shar, a vendor at the farmer's market.
Meanwhile back UN Plaza, the city is hoping the new plan lands.
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