Support existing merchants with customer attraction, business promotion, façade improvements, and business improvements and investments.
Customer Attraction and Business Promotion
In order to promote the merchants in the Sunset District, our office created a Sunset District Holiday Gift Guide, which features a variety of businesses in the Sunset District. Each year, our gift guide grows, and last year featured over 30 pages of Sunset District small businesses, artists and authors. In our Blueprint outreach, many residents said they wanted to see more retail shops in the Sunset District, and we are pleased that it grows each year with the addition of new small businesses that offer our residents plenty of holiday shopping options.
New Façade Improvement Projects
The City’s Invest in Neighborhoods program (IIN) assisted Irving Street merchants in applying for a grant for façade improvements. The Outer Sunset Merchant and Professional Association (OSMPA) was awarded this grand and 15 merchants benefitted from this opportunity. Merchants were able to complete awning replacement projects at half the cost, and businesses also had their awnings power-washed.
Streetscape Improvements
The Taraval Streetscape Improvement Project extends from46th to 48th Avenue. The renovation will provide a safer and more inviting environment for pedestrians, motorists and transit riders. Improvements include more visible crosswalks, sidewalk bulb-outs to shorten crossings at intersections, a public seating area, new landscaping and street trees, streetlight upgrades and roadway paving. This project was finished in July 2015 and we hope the improvements will attract more neighborhood-serving businesses to the area.
The Irving Streetscape Improvement Project extends from 19th to 27th avenues in the Outer Sunset district. The renovation will provide a safer and more inviting environment for pedestrians, motorists and transit riders. The streetscape project will be done in conjunction with sewer replacement, curb ramp upgrades, and road repaving from 19th Avenue to the Great Highway. The project is currently wrapping up the design phase and the streetscape improvements will include new colored concrete sidewalks throughout, sidewalk bulb-outs at the 20th, 22nd, and 25th Avenue intersections, crosswalk enhancements at 22nd Avenue, new street trees, site furnishings, and gateway features. The project is expected to advertise for construction in Summer 2015, with construction anticipated to begin before the end of 2015. Construction operations will begin with sewer work, and streetscape work will continue through 2016. The full project from 19th to Lower Great Highway, inclusive of sewer and repaving on 45th Avenue between Lincoln and Lawton, is expected to be complete by June 2017.
Parklets
Parklets can be a simple and cost-effective way to add temporary gathering space and landscaping to our neighborhood. Outdoor seating is often made possible by parklets, particularly where sidewalks are too narrow to accommodate seating. The parklet in front of Devil’s Teeth Baking Co. (3876 Noriega Street) is a great example of a success story. Almost every morning, and especially on weekends, the parklet fills with people, especially young people and families with children.
Currently, our office is continuing efforts to assist Rolling Out Café (1722 Taraval Street) in installing a parklet. The project took longer to approve due to the steep slope of Taraval Street at this location. To move the project forward, our office was able to secure the assistance of SF Public Works to help with the final design phases of the parklet to ensure the design meets all code requirements.
The owner of Rolling-Out recently received a permit to install the parklet, and will now begin fundraising to fill the gap in funding. The parklet also received additional funding from the OEWD capital grant program.
Our office will continue to support existing merchants with customer attraction, business promotion, façade improvements, and business improvements and investments.
Find out more:
Taraval Streetscape Improvement Project: http://sfdpw.org/index.aspx?page=1648
Irving Streetscape Improvement Project: http://sfdpw.org/index.aspx?page=1696