Rec & Park shows Japantown Peace Plaza concept; community outreach, water feature and funding flagged

San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and Public Works on April 3 presented concept designs and community engagement results for a proposed rehabilitation of Peace Plaza and the Peace Pagoda at 1610 Geary Boulevard (Japantown). The presentation emphasized community input and cultural design principles and identified next steps in CEQA and Rec & Park Commission review.

Michelle Taylor (Planning Department) told the Historic Preservation Commission the plaza is on the landmark designation work program and that the nomination is currently on hold to give the Japantown community time to consider rehabilitation and redesign. Staff said comments from the commission and the community will inform final documentation and that any future designation and ordinance would be updated if the nomination moves forward.

Mike DeGregorio, project manager for Rec & Park, described extensive outreach—dozens of focus groups, charrettes, three community meetings and more than 700 survey responses—and a design process that included cultural design consultants (RHAA). He said the project began in part because the plaza "has been leaking to the garage below for the better part of its 50 years," and that the team studied options for representing water that would balance community desire with structural constraints.

The concept identifies three primary zones (Post Street Terrace, Pagoda Terrace and lower sunken terrace), retains significant cherry trees and the pagoda, and proposes flexible features: movable seating, raised planters, a wooden terrace and a thin, drainable "water mirror" that can be emptied for events. The team proposed nighttime lighting to evoke the plaza’s eternal flame and suggested materials such as warm‑toned cast‑in‑place concrete and wood elements for terraces.

Japantown Task Force members and residents praised the outreach and stressed cultural importance. Alice Kawahatsu, a longtime resident and task force board member, told commissioners the plaza is "the heartbeat of our community." Richard Hashimoto, Peace Plaza Committee co‑chair, said he opposed a water feature because of historic leakage but commended Rec & Park for the collaborative process.

Commissioners asked procedural questions about the nomination (how the stalled designation would be updated and reviewed), tree selection (cherry, maple, ginkgo and other seasonal species were considered), alternatives to an active water feature (dry/representational options were studied), and whether the project is funded; staff said the project is currently unfunded for construction and will return to the Rec & Park Commission for concept approval once CEQA review is complete.

Next steps: completion of CEQA review, concept plan review by the Recreation and Park Commission, and further design development tied to funding availability.