Crissy Field:
Popular Presidio path will be shut in stages during major renovation
Popular Presidio path will shut down in stages for major restoration.
Crissy Field is about to get a face-lift. But no one who visits the scenic open space on the bayside edge of the Presidio seems to know about it.
“New surface. Improved drainage coming soon!” blare the monochrome signs that popped up along the promenade two weeks ago. In the accompanying photo, a man steps into a large puddle while the Golden Gate Bridge towers in the background.
“I don’t know anything about any renovations aside from this sign,” said Mike Moore of Oakland, herding five sandy dogs into the backseat of his car. “I’d give the path a decent mark now, given the amount of traffic. You’ve got kite-surfers, runners, bikers, walkers, dogs. Any improvement is a good thing.”
Change is coming starting March 16 — whether people know it or not. The 1.5-mile-long Crissy Field promenade, which draws nearly 1.2 million visitors each year for a stroll, run or bike ride, will close in four stages for its first major restoration since it opened in 2001.
The path will be shut down in segments from the Crissy Field Center at the east end to Torpedo Wharf near the Warming Hut. It will be reopened in pieces as renovations are completed. The $2.5 million undertaking comes a year after the Golden Gate National Recreation Area received a grant as part of the National Park Service’s centennial last year. Another $2.5 million for the project came from the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the Cosco Busan Trustee Council.
Park users have long complained about the walkway’s pits,
puddles and packed crowds. The trail will be resurfaced and drainage improved as part of the project. The hard gravel surfacing will be replaced with a shale composite, which is already used on the Presidio Coastal Trail and at Eagle’s Point at Land’s End.
“We are trying to address our $270 million in deferred maintenance,” said Nathan Sargent, a spokesman for Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes Crissy Field. “The evidence that we need this is right before your eyes. You’ve got puddling and pooling of water. This is one of the most loved trails in the Bay Area. The project will add 10 to 15 years onto the path’s life span.”
Last year, the National Park Service also announced plans to widen the East Beach pathway to 30 feet and reconfigure a portion of the East Beach parking lot. Those changes have been postponed indefinitely pending further community input.
But Sargent said he wouldn’t be surprised if residents didn’t know about any of the developments. More than 18 million people from around the globe have visited Crissy Field since it opened on a site that was once covered with asphalt and military buildings.
“We have some signs up and outreach is ongoing,” he said, sighing. “But of course it will be a surprise to some people. Given the love and use of the trail, we can’t get advance word out to everyone.”
Supervisor Mark Farrell, whose district borders Crissy Field, said the renovation was a welcome development. Farrell, who grew up in the Marina district, said he used to jog along the waterfront with his dad when the Presidio was an Army base.
“Crissy Field has always been an asset to San Francisco,” Farrell said. “It’s also changed significantly over time. My dad and I used to be the only ones out there using it. Since it opened, more and more residents have been enjoying it. Any improvements can only make it better and are welcome. They will be met with enthusiasm.”
On a recent morning, Karen Gross of Half Moon Bay walked her border collie puppy, Scout, along the trail. Nearby, a group of tourists scorched hotdogs on an outdoor grill, and tourists whizzed by on rental bikes. Scout lunged at another dog’s tennis ball, and Gross tugged on her leash.
“We’ve taken all of our dogs here and are willing to drive an hour to do so because it’s so beautiful,” Gross said while walking on the promenade with her husband, Jack. “It’s a great idea to fix up the path. This area is so important to people. Any time we can see improvements is a good thing. What exactly are the improvements again?”
Soon after, Elise Lagace skidded along the path on a bike. She and her cousin, Laurence Poirier, were visiting from Montreal. But the dips and ruts in the promenade were rattling their teeth and hurting their legs, so they stopped at a bench near one of the signs to take a break and snap a few photos.
“I don’t know anything about this,” Lagace said. “It would be good to avoid some of this. It’s pretty bumpy.”
Nearby, another biker zipped by, and then a runner, and then a mother pushing a toddler in a stroller. None stopped to read the poster.