San Francisco residents fume as iconic trees are axed in $40M park revamp

San Francisco is uprooting nearly a hundred trees from its iconic waterfront, and locals are not taking it well.

Crews began the process Monday and 97 of the 113 trees in Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park will be removed over the next five weeks, according to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks. Three of these will be transplanted to new locations within the park.

When the park is fully renovated next year under the $40 million Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park Renovation Project, these trees will be replaced with a mix of local and site-appropriate species, including coast live oak, coast redwood, Monterey cypress, southern magnolia, and strawberry tree.

“The number of trees in the park before and after renovation will remain the same. Removing and replanting trees is necessary to regrade the park to be more accessible to all,” the city agency said.

The makeover, which also led to the removal of the historic Vaillancourt Fountain earlier this year, is aimed at transforming the area into a “vibrant 5-acre waterfront park in the heart of San Francisco.”

The tree removals have sparked immediate backlash online from concerned residents.

“You got to be kidding!!!!! With the temprature rising & you are cutting down trees. You will be burning San Francisco!!!!!!,” an Instagram user commented on SF Gate’s post.

Another user said, “Seems like our nature-loving city loves new “designed” parks but not inclined to take care of our existing meager “canopy.””

Originally, Embarcadero Plaza was designed by Lawrence Halprin as a lively, inward-facing public space when it opened in 1972, while Sue Bierman Park was developed to create pedestrian gathering spaces following the demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway in 1992.

The project focuses on revitalizing a multi-purpose space for large gatherings alongside updated pathways featuring new landscaping and modern stormwater infrastructure. Pathway and circulation improvements are also planned to enhance overall accessibility and connectivity throughout the waterfront.

“While these parks have served the community for decades, aging infrastructure and declining usage, especially after COVID-19, highlight the urgent need for revitalization,” the agency said in project details.

The ambitious revitalization is backed by a public-private funding model and will leverage $15 million to $20 million in public funds, supported by $2.5 million from real estate firm BXP for the design phase and an additional $10 million target from the Downtown SF Partnership for construction costs.