Supervisors Demand Clarity on UN Plaza Activation Project and Support for the Heart of The City Farmers’ Market

Following an opaque process to activate UN Plaza in a manner that is displacing the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market, District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston and Board President Aaron Peskin introduced a Resolution today expressing the Board of Supervisors’ concern over the process, urging the Recreation and Parks Department to adopt mitigations requested by the Farmers’ Market and calling for the department to provide clarity to the Board and community on the UN Plaza activation “pilot.” 

“Everyone wants more positive community uses on UN Plaza, but this was planned without community input and in a way that displaces the Farmers’ Market,” said Supervisor Preston, who represents UN Plaza after last year’s redistricting process. “That’s unacceptable. We need clarity about the plans and we need clear commitments to the Farmers’ Market to ensure their success.”

Located in the center of the City, UN Plaza has been a longtime community gathering spot and has been home to the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market for over 40 years. It has also struggled as a place with extensive drug use, public intoxication, overdoses, drug dealing, and other unhealthy behavior, uses that have intensified since the recent closure of the Tenderloin Center in December 2022. 

Farmers’ Market leadership learned through a letter from the Civic Center Community Benefit District in May 2033 that RPD was allegedly putting forward plans to activate UN Plaza, which would displace the Farmers’ Market to nearby Fulton Plaza. At this time, Supervisor Preston and Farmer’s Market leadership was told no plans had been finalized. The District 5 Supervisor urged RPD to include the community and Farmers’ Market in any decisions about activating UN Plaza.

In July, local media reported that RPD had developed the pilot UN Plaza Activation Project, which included installation of a street skating area in UN Plaza by November 2023, and would move the Farmers’ Market to Fulton Plaza in September 2023. Despite repeated requests from Supervisor Preston’s office to RPD, no community meetings or public information sessions were held until RPD and CCCBD co-hosted an information session on August 14, 2023, and there was significant community pushback at the open house and in the days that followed.

As instructed by RPD, the Farmers Market relocated from UN Plaza on Sunday, September 3 to the nearby Fulton Plaza.

“The disrespect shown by this Administration to the community of farmers, vendors and low-income seniors and families dependent on the Heart of the City farmers market’s healthy and affordable food is breathtaking and outrageous,” said Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin. “After we have put incredibly difficult budget and capital plan negotiations to bed, the Mayor and Rec & Park are now using $2 million of precious capital funds for a temporary ‘pilot’ project that does nothing to actually address the drug dealing in UN Plaza or help our neighborhood parks. Displacing the one positive community-led activation in UN Plaza is the exact wrong answer to improving public safety. We need a bustling and thriving farmer’s market – not a bustling and thriving drug supermarket.”

The Heart of the City Farmer’s Market has served the City and County of Francisco for over 40 years on UN Plaza by providing fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, honey, and quality agricultural products, and is an essential food source for the Tenderloin which lacks grocery stores. More than 20,000 people on Sundays and Wednesdays shop for seasonal fresh fruits, vegetables, and other staples that are vended by more than 50 California farmers, many who travel for hours to sell their produce. Heart of the City Farmers’ Market has the largest farmers’ market EBT program in California, with over $250,000 in annual EBT sales.