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Participants in salsa dance lessons learn moves at Salesforce Park in San Francisco on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. Salsa dance lessons happen every first Thursday of the month from May to October. San Francisco officials seeking to revitalize Union Square with daily programming are close to hiring the “placemaking” expert who led the vaunted transformation of New York City’s once crime-infested Bryant Park and, in recent years, filled The City’s Salesforce Park with constant attractions.
New York-based Biederman Redevelopment Ventures has been conditionally selected to do the programming in Union Square Plaza in the heart of The City’s marquee shopping-and-tourism district after a competitive bidding process, according to the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. A contract has not yet been signed. Biederman “has a proven track record of revitalizing public spaces through innovative management and programming,” department spokeswoman Kate Patterson said. “We are excited to see what they develop for Union Square.”as much shopping has moved online and large numbers of employees have adopted remote work schedules and reduced time in downtown offices. Company President Dan Biederman said it is too early to say what exactly his firm might bring to Union Square. He said he would seek extensive public input in crafting a plan, but the lessons learned from 40 years operating Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan and seven in Salesforce Park will likely apply. Union Square has “good bones” and an impressive amount of horticulture that could be enhanced, Biederman said. It also has“It just needs more conscious efforts to draw in people, and I think that can be done,” Biederman said. Biederman was one of the leading figures in 1980 who established a nonprofit corporation with support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to salvage the nearly 10-acre space around the New York Public Library’s Fifth Avenue flagship location, a notorious bazaar of drug dealing and lawlessness at the time. Biederman instituted a regimen of park maintenance, temporary kiosks, attention to lighting and plantings, and public events that included historical tours and concerts. Huge reductions in crime and increases in park visitors soon followed. “I often tell people, perfecting Bryant Park took 40 years, but we’ve now got that down to two or three because all the mistakes have been made already by us, and we know what’s right and what’s wrong,” Biederman said. “We know our stuff.”New York Rangers fans gather in Bryant Park to watch the broadcast during the first period of Game 4 of the team’s NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in New York. Biederman continues to oversee the operation of Bryant Park. Since 2017, Biederman Redevelopment Ventures — which for a quarter of a century has separately consulted with public and private clients across the nation on varied matters, including management of public spaces — has also led programming efforts for Salesforce Park, the 5.4-acre oasis of greenery atop the Salesforce Transit Center south of Market Street. Biederman’s company has also consulted about spaces in San Francisco’s Mission Rock neighborhood, including the new China Basin Park, as well as theBiederman is not alone in using a strategy of sponsoring activities such as arts performances to enliven public spaces. In Union Square, there will be a free concert Aug. 8. The nonprofit Union Square Alliance also coordinates attractions that include an annual ice rink, a multi-day winter street faire and floral displays and related events from May to October.“That’s really what we tried to do in terms of activating public spaces — creating a repeat audience and a steady audience who can take ownership over the space and really enjoy it and use it on a daily basis,” said Nina Coveney, a senior project manager who runs Biederman’s San Francisco office, adding that she wished more people knew Salesforce Park existed.Biederman Redevelopment Ventures Senior Project Manager Nina Coveney stands in Salesforce Park in San Francisco on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. Similar to Bryant Park, there are multiple activities per day for most of the week at Salesforce Park, including live music performances, arts and crafts for children, drum circles, writing workshops, fitness and dance classes, and even bird-watching tours. “It’s not all about huge, massive parties,” said Robert Walsh, facility director for the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, the public agency that owns the park. The offerings are free, though the transit center this past weekend celebrated its sixth anniversary with its first paid event — a Christian Kuria concert in its amphitheater that was produced in collaboration with the Noise Pop music festival. Biederman is budgeted to receive $535,600 for 2024-25 for managing the activities in the park, Walsh said. In addition, $389,600 is budgeted for the performers. Nearly 80% of the funding comes from the East Cut Community Benefit District, which is supported by property owners.Grandparents Savita Dalmia , Deepak Dalmia and their year-old granddaughter, Maahi Dalmia, attend the Toddler Thursday event at Salesforce Park in San Francisco on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024.Jane Commerford of Jamaroo Kids performs at the Toddler Thursday event at Salesforce Park in San Francisco on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. On a recent morning, the schedule called for an 8 a.m. “bootcamp” exercise class, followed by a music and movement session for toddlers, then an afternoon fitness class and an evening salsa dance soiree with a live band next to the Barebottle Brewing beer garden at the park’s center. “It’s a great community service,” said Deepak Dalmia, who was visiting with his wife from India and had brought his year-old granddaughter from her parents’ home in the neighborhood to see the musical show by Jamaroo Kids. “It’s the biggest class that I get to do during the week,” said Jamaroo Kids performer Jane Commerford, who distributed shaker eggs, rhythm sticks and multicolored scarves for the kids to wave along. “This kind of exposure is really good for kids’ development, and socializing also happens here,” said Savita Dalmia, Deepak’s wife, who heard about the park from her son and daughter-in-law. “They interact with other kids. So I think it’s a wonderful experience here.” As Commerford packed up her gear to go, dozens lingered, sitting under trees at tables amid strollers next to a foosball table and carts filled with books, board games and art supplies. Gretchen Sofo said she has walked to the park almost every day for about a year with her 2-year-old daughter, Juliette, who loves making art and has made friends there. “This has been one of our favorite parts of The City, and it’s been really an important space for her,” Sofo said. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically affected Salesforce Park, much like the rest of downtown. Park activities temporarily shut down, and the rise of remote work Nevertheless, Walsh said recent activity attendance has been breaking records, and Biederman wants even more programming. “The goal is for you to say, ‘Oh yeah, Salesforce Park, there’s always something happening there,’” Coveney said. That’s exactly what happened on a recent evening for Roman Ches, who came to the park from his nearby home with his 17-year-old daughter, Ann, and ended up participating in a free salsa dance class. “I know that there are a lot of events here,” Ches said. “And that’s why we were here, just to see if something happens.”Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive for a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday.Harris tapped Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to complete the Democratic presidential ticket Tuesday, a little more than two weeks after she The duo took the stage together in front of a noisy and packed crowd at Temple University in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, hours after Harris confirmed media reports that Walz was her vice-presidential pick. “Since the day that I announced my candidacy, I set out to find a partner who can help build this brighter future,” said Harris, who spoke first while Walz stood behind her, smiling and clapping along. “A leader who will help unite our nation and move us forward. A fighter for the middle class. A patriot who believes as I do in the extraordinary promise of America — a promise of freedom, opportunity and justice not just for some but for all.” Harris said Walz fit the bill, touting her new running mate’s record on the economy, reproductive freedom, voting rights, affordable health care and gun-control measures. Walz, 60, is in his second term as governor of Minnesota, winning elections in 2018 and 2022. The Nebraska native spent more than 20 years as a public-school teacher and a member of the National Guard before serving as a Minnesota congressman for a dozen years, representing a rural and historically conservative region of the state. He served as the ranking Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee during his last term in Congress. “I couldn’t be prouder to be on this ticket, and what we all know is very, very good for us to think about: next President of the United States of America,” he said of Harris. “From her first day as a prosecutor as a district attorney, attorney general of the great state of California, a United States senator and vice president of the United States, Vice President Harris has fought on the side of the American people.” Walz chronicled his personal background, starting from his early years living in West Point, Neb., a town of 400 people, as well as his career in the National Guard, tenures as a high-school social-studies teacher and football coach, and his time in Congress representing a district that has had only one other Democratic representative since 1892. Harris and Walz also took the opportunity to throw jabs at both the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, whom Walz said he “can’t wait to debate.” Vance, a former venture capitalist who previously lived and worked in The City, called Walz a “San Francisco-style liberal” in a campaign appearance earlier Tuesday. Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary said in a release that it was no surprise that “San Francisco Liberal Kamala Harris wants West Coast wannabe Tim Walz as her running mate” in November. “ like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare,” she added.“I’m very excited,“ City Attorney David Chiu, who will serve as a delegate at this month’s Democratic National Convention, wrote to The Examiner in a text message. “Governor Walz has a long record of championing working families and the middle class, fighting for public safety, and standing up for fundamental freedoms. And given his background and experience, he’ll help Vice President Harris take the fight into battleground states.” House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, The City’s longtime congressional representative, said in a Tuesday morning interview on “Morning Joe” that Walz was a “wonderful” choice to join Harris on the Democratic ticket. “He has a great vision for our country,” Pelosi, who served alongside Walz in the House from 2007 to 2019, told the hosts. “It’s about working-class families. It’s about rural America, about our veterans.” Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was mayor of San Francisco when Harris served as district attorney and lieutenant governor when Harris was the state attorney general, wrote on social media Tuesday that“Tim Walz is about doing the right thing,” wrote Newsom, a member of the Democratic Governors Association under Walz’ chairmanship. “Whether it’s free school meals or standing up to gun violence — he’s never been intimidated.” Harris chose Walz from a crowded field of top contenders that reportedly included Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who also spoke at the Tuesday rally in Philadelphia and introduced Harris and Walz to the stage. The newly minted tandem is embarking on a four-day campaign blitz through seven battleground states, beginning with Tuesday’s joint rally. Harris and Walz will make trips to Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Detroit; Raleigh, N.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Phoenix; and Las Vegas later this week.last month shortly after President Biden announced he was ending his reelection campaign. Biden’s decision came following weeks of calls from Democratic leaders for him to step down following a calamitous debate performance against former President Trump in late June that heightened already-swirling questions over his cognitive state. Walz, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, and other governors met with Biden at the White House within a week of the debate. He said at the time that Biden had his full support. “What we saw in there today was a guy who was the guy that all of us believed in the first time we could beat Donald Trump and did beat Donald Trump,” Walz said at the time.described Trump, running mate J.D. Vance and Republican priorities as “weird” in a viral July 23 appearance on the MSNBC talk show “Morning Joe.” Democrats, including the Harris campaign, quickly adopted the line of attack as she entered the race. The Minnesota governor told The New York Times’ Ezra Klein in an interview earlier this month that the “weirdness” extended to what he framed as“They do it to San Francisco. And just to be candid, last week was my first time in San Francisco, and there I am driving around, and I’m like a kid again,” Walz said in an Aug. 2 interview. “I’m like, ‘America is so awesome. San Francisco is just the greatest.’ And that’s the way people would feel. Go out to the boundary waters of Minnesota. Go to Northern Minnesota and look where the mining has happened for a hundred years. These were the beauty of America. And they’ve demonized these places.”While Mayor London Breed publicly pledged to offer services to people living on San Francisco streets, her administration privately built a new legal argument to avoid having to do so. In the wake of a June U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down restrictions on cities’ ability to clear homeless encampments, BreedIn the intervening weeks, city officials and attorneys formulated the legal basis for swiftly and efficiently clearing encampments, culminating in a police-department notice issued July 31 that The Examiner obtained. The memo clarifies that offers of shelter are encouraged — but not required — before The City enforces multiple laws related to encampments that are listed in detail.and comes as Breed faces pressure on all sides of an entrenched issue. San Franciscans tired of encampments have implored The City to take assertive action, andthat cities across California do the same. Advocates for the homeless continue to keep a sharp eye on The City, which still faces legal pressure related to its homeless sweeps.Now, the legal and political landscape in which The City is operating has changed dramatically in recent weeks — and Breed’s administration is operating under entirely new parameters.in 2016, requires The City to make an offer of shelter and provide 24 hours notice before clearing an encampment. But The City can now enforce other laws related to homelessness that do not include such restrictions, according to the City Attorney’s Office and a directive signed by San Francisco police Chief Bill Scott on July 31.reversed a lower-court ruling that offered protections for people living in encampments, functionally forcing cities to at least offer them shelter before clearing their encampments. The previous legal standard was part of the underpinning of a December 2022 injunction issued by Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu in U.S. District Court in that placed strict limits on The City’s ability to enforce laws against camping on public property. The injunction, which was largely upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in January, was the result of a“Practically, this means may enforce the below laws without first assuring that the City has made offers of available shelter under the Eighth Amendment,” Scott wrote. No longer a constitutional requirement, an offer of shelter is now a choice for police and outreach workers to make on the spot before enforcing laws related to obstructing a sidewalk, as well as those that prohibit sitting, lying or “lodging” on public property.“Proposition Q is the only anticamping and lodging law that requires offers of shelter, and San Francisco generally intends to rely on other laws that do not require offers of shelter in enforcement actions,” Jen Kwart, a spokesperson for the City Attorney’s Office, told The Examiner. However, The City is continuing to comply with its “bag and tag policy,” which remains a part of the 9th Circuit’s injunction. The policy requires San Francisco to collect individuals’ belongings and allow them to be recovered after an encampment is cleared. Despite no longer being required to do so, “city outreach teams continue to engage with individuals at encampments and continue to offer shelter and services,” the mayor’s office told The Examiner in a statement. Attorneys involved in the lawsuit against The City argue that it is now “bypassing voter-approved Prop Q.” That was already “a recurring issue due to the city’s past failure to consistently offer appropriate shelter according to its own policies,” said Nisha Kashyap, director of the racial-justice program at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. “However, this disregard for previous commitments appears to be more blatant now, with the city openly rejecting its earlier promises to offer shelter and services.” The City’s shelter occupancy rate is currently 94%, according to the most recently available data from the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, and advocates argue that there is not enough space inside for everyone currently living outside. San Francisco has around 3,900 shelter beds. Preliminary data from the federally mandated Point-in-Time Count earlier this year estimated The City’s total unhoused population was about 8,300 people, about 2,900 of whom were unsheltered. But Breed has increasingly lamented those who deny offers of shelter and what her administration says is a rising number of people living on the street who are not from San Francisco. Breed announced a new directive Thursday, dubbed “Journey Home,” that requires outreach workers to offer bus tickets out of San Francisco “before offering any other City services, including housing and shelter.” “While we will always lead with compassion and we have made significant expansions in housing and shelter, we cannot solve everyone’s individual housing and behavioral health needs,” Breed said in a statement.Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print. You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it. 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