Beloved Palace of Fine Arts Moves Into Final Phase of Renovation
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Palace of Fine Arts remains one of the most picturesque and recognizable landmarks in the city. In the past several years and over several project phases, we’ve worked with the Maybeck Foundation to restore the Palace to its former glory.
Most recently, we completed Phase IIB of the project in April, which included structural upgrades and architectural restoration to the rotunda and colonnade, the most recognizable part of the Palace.
The final phase of the project, Phase IIC, is set to begin in January and includes improvements to the hardscape and landscaping at the Palace. This will include the addition of a fabulous Koret Garden area, a new south entrance, new pathways, paving at the Rotunda and its main axis, a donor recognition component, lagoon edge repair and stabilization, and lighting fixtures at top of colonnade and rotunda.
The final phase is a continuation of the public/private partnership between the City and the Maybeck Foundation. The City will be contributing an additional $1.6 million to the project plus in-kind donations of labor and planting materials in excess of $300,000. The Maybeck Foundation will be adding an additional $1.4 million to the project as well.
I’m looking forward to the completion of this project in fall of next year.
Day 15: Gophers, Palace of Fine Arts and Moscone Rec Center
Tuesday, July 21, 2009This morning I visited with gardeners, recreation staff, custodians and community members at the Palace of Fine Arts and Moscone Recreation Center.
At the Palace of Fine Arts, an operational headquarters for Neighborhood Service Area 2, which covers the Marina, Presidio, North Beach, Pacific Heights and Chinatown neighborhoods, I spent time with several gardeners who work in parks all across the this area of town.
It is obvious to me how much pride most gardeners take in their work and my staff was eager to share with me their suggestions for improving our Department and for tackling some of their greatest day-to-day challenges, which include gophers, off-leash dogs and a century-old irrigation system that is falling apart.
One department gardener, Sheila Bradford, has built up quite a reputation as the department's best gopher hunter. At Alta Plaza, a park plagued by a broken irrigation sy
stem and an increasing gopher population, Sheila has displayed an uncanny knack for trapping and dealing with those pesky gophers. Since our department does not use any poisons, toxins or heavy artillery, I asked our own “Carl Spackler” about the secret to her gopher hunting strategy. With a twinkle in her eye, Sheila responded, "Tenacity, Phil. Just tenacity." Look for Sheila in the coming days over at Big Rec in Golden Gate Park, another of our troubled gopher hot spots.
We watched a Tiny Tot program in session and I learned how this rec center is given such great support by the Friends of Moscone Park and Recreation Center, a dedicated community group that supports this facility and its programs whenever we need them.
Our staff at Moscone is also great. This Tiny Tot program is one of the most popular in the city and I can see why. The staff was engaging and made class time fun for both the parents and little ones.
From 1934-1942, the Recreation and Park Department operated 18 lighted tennis courts at the Palace of Fine Arts.
