A transformation years in the making has finally arrived at Esprit Park in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood, driven by a significant investment from UC San Francisco and the dedication of a passionate and growing community.
That seed came to fruition last month at the park’s reopening event.
The park is one of several key projects UCSF has supported through more than $10 million in contributions in the Dogpatch and surrounding neighborhoods.
Esprit rejuvenated
Esprit Park was originally conceived in 1982 as a corporate open space for employees of the iconic clothing giant.
It covered a full city block bound by Minnesota, Indiana, 19th and 20th streets.
As the company prepared to relocate outside of San Francisco in 2001, ownership of the park was officially transferred to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department after the neighborhood campaigned to save it.
In time, it became beloved by the Dogpatch community.
But as the Dogpatch saw a 226% population increase from 2010 to 2020, the needs of the neighborhood led to a call for upgrades, according to Tamara Barak Aparton, Deputy Director, Communications and Public Affairs at the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. “The park was old and not built to last,” she said. “It had aging infrastructure and needed to be usable and sustainable.”
That’s when UCSF stepped up and formed the Dogpatch Community Task Force, seeking to balance the university's expanding Mission Bay footprint with a growing neighborhood. The group included members of the UCSF Community Advisory Group, residents and merchants of Dogpatch and Potrero Hill, city agencies and UCSF staff.
“UCSF provided space for healthy deliberation during a time when we weren’t sure how to think about their expansion into Dogpatch,” said Irma Lewis, president, Friends of Esprit Park, and member of the original Dogpatch Community Task Force. “Bringing together community stakeholders and city leaders as part of the process design, in addition to task force members meeting city officials independently, helped a lot.”
From there, a list of ideas and projects was born.
One of those led to UCSF’s $5 million investment toward a complete revitalization of Esprit Park.
Last month’s reopening celebration was attended by San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg and UCSF Community and Government Relations Vice Chancellor Dan Bernal, among many others, on a beautiful day in the Dogpatch.
“None of this would have been possible without the contributions of so many community members,” Bernal said. “This space represents UCSF’s powerful partnership with our neighbors, demonstrating how collaboration and thoughtful dialogue bring real and tangible benefits to our neighborhoods.”
Renovations include two distinct meadows for off-leash dogs and a dog-free space, an ADA-accessible path that loops around both meadows for walking and running, expanded seating and picnic areas, exercise stations for a range of abilities, and more trees and plants, most of which are native to California.
“The renovation that UCSF has made possible creates a more accessible space for everyone,” Barak Aparton said. “It needed some help to keep up with the neighborhood’s growth, and now I think it’s a space that’s fit for everyone.”
The total cost of the project was $8.5 million.
Numerous investments
The park is one of several projects supported by UCSF in the Dogpatch and Potrero Hill neighborhoods.
The university also committed $4.2 million for the development of the Dogpatch Community Hub, a community gathering place offering programs, meeting spaces and event rentals that is free and open to all. There’s also the development of a 22nd Street stair connector and new upgrades to the Caltrain station entrance itself.
In all, UCSF’s investments in the area total more than $10.5 million.
Julie Christensen, former director of the Dogpatch and Northwest Potrero Hill Green Benefit District and part of the original Dogpatch Community Task Force, was among those invited to a reconvening of the task force at the Dogpatch Community Hub last month. The event marked the many projects – both complete and in motion – that have helped transform the neighborhoods for the future.
It also featured a walking tour of the neighborhood.
“There’s a very good chance we’ll start construction in 2025,” said Christensen, who worked closely on the 22nd Street stair connector project. The connector will help bridge the Potrero Hill Recreation Center to the Dogpatch, and provide more options for Potrero Hill residents to access the nearby Caltrain station, Muni and waterfront.
Renovations to the 22nd Street Caltrain station entrance have already been completed.
“UCSF does a lot of good in a lot of different ways,” said JR Eppler, president of the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association, and member of The Friends of the Dogpatch Community Hub and Dogpatch Community Task Force.
Eppler joined Lewis, Christensen and Donovan Lacy, president of the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association and acting executive director of the Dogpatch and Northwest Potrero Hill Green Benefit District, at the reunion of the original task force.
“Good things come to those who wait,” Lacy said. “UCSF has stepped up in this community and done a lot of the things the community wanted.”