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City Seeks Funding to Make Holiday Plaza Accessible; Architect Presents helical-ramp concept
Summary
The Mayor's Office on Disability and architect Bill Leddy presented a concept to replace the long-out-of-service elevator at Holiday Plaza with a helical ramp; the Capital Planning Commission is set to decide funding for the project on March 24.
San Francisco’s Mayor’s Office on Disability presented plans and a conceptual design for making Holiday Plaza — the below-street plaza at Market and Powell — fully accessible, ahead of a Capital Planning Commission decision on funding scheduled for March 24.
Holiday Plaza’s elevator has been out of service for roughly 20 years, a fact speakers described as a long-standing access barrier for people with disabilities. The Mayor’s Office on Disability (MOD) said the plaza is included in the voter-approved "Healthy, Safe, and Vibrant San Francisco" bond and has been a target for restoration and accessibility upgrades included in the city’s 2024 bond measure.
MOD Deputy Director Debbie Kaplan summarized the site history, noting an elevator was added in 1997 after a legal action but has not functioned reliably. Kaplan said MOD and advocacy groups asked architect Bill Leddy to propose an alternate approach: rather than repairing the aging elevator (MOD was told such a renovation could cost roughly $20 million), Leddy offered a concept using a helical ramp wrapped with planting and design elements that aim to make the route both accessible and welcoming. Leddy described the design as an approach that meets the Americans with Disabilities Act slope standards while providing an inclusive, dignity-building experience for all users.
The presentation included conceptual cost numbers provided by private contractors: Leddy said preliminary estimates for construction of the ramp idea were roughly $6.5 million, with a total project cost near $9 million. Leddy and MOD emphasized the scheme is a concept to inform design-phase work; if the Capital Planning Commission funds the project, MOD said the disability community will be involved during the design phase.
Community members and disability advocates spoke in support during public comment. Jaime Viloria, co-chair of the Tenderloin Traffic Safety Task Force and a local resident, said the plaza’s inaccessibility prevents seniors and wheelchair users from attending events and using the concourse. Fiona Hinsley, public policy director for Independent Living Resource Center, and other advocacy speakers urged funding the Holiday Plaza project as an opportunity to showcase universal design during the ADA’s 35th anniversary year.
MOD Director Eli Jelardin reiterated that the Capital Planning Commission decision is the immediate next step and cautioned there are no guarantees funding will be approved. If the commission prioritizes Holiday Plaza, MOD staff said they and the disability community expect to participate in the subsequent design process. Kaplan said the bond language included Holiday Plaza and that MOD has requested capital planning funds to begin design.
Public commenters and council members asked technical questions about slope and ramp standards. Architect Leddy said the proposal would comply with the maximum ADA slope of 1:12 and that parts of the ramp would be shallower to improve usability. Council members and advocates also discussed durability, maintenance, and how the ramp concept would perform in San Francisco’s windy, high-traffic downtown environment.
The project will proceed to the Capital Planning Commission on Monday, March 24, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at City Hall (Room 305), where funding decisions for Holiday Plaza and other capital projects will be considered. MOD and advocates encouraged stakeholders to attend and provide comment.
