Placemaking at Annie Plaza: Transforming a Civic Space Through Collaborative Urban Planning
The reimagining of Annie Plaza began in 2017 when local partners came together with intent to make an existing public space in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena neighborhood more versatile, welcoming, and active. Annie Plaza, the space between the Palace Hotel and the Monadnock Building along Market Street, was transformed from an uninviting dark corridor into an open pedestrian pathway and vibrant community event space.
This urban planning project relied upon the contributions and stewardship of San Francisco Public Works, Yerba Buena Partnership (then known as the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District), Brookfield Properties and the Monadnock Building, Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts and Palace Hotel, and JMA Ventures and the Hearst Corporation.
Shady Alleyway Days with Solution in Community
Before its transformation, the outdated treatment of this public space created a secluded, dark, and unwelcoming environment. Nestled between two historic, high rise buildings, the plaza was primarily occupied by a few large planters with overpowering foliage and concrete ledges that offered some seating. The design’s hidden sightlines enabled unsafe activities, including visible substance use, contributing to a space that no longer felt inviting for public enjoyment.
In 2017, the Yerba Buena Partnership brought together San Francisco Public Works and the neighboring property owners and businesses to identify a community-supported solution for the space. The Partnership facilitated the public-private partnership until the project was fully realized in 2023. San Francisco Public Works provided a new design for the plaza based on community feedback from the neighboring properties and from the Partnership’s 2011 Street Life Plan, which identified Annie Plaza as an opportunity to connect Market to Mission Streets and enhance the pedestrian experience. Funding for the project was sourced from the adjacent properties to make the project a reality.
Breaking Ground and Temporary Public Art
In 2019, construction was just beginning, and the project relied on commitment from all neighborhood partners. Brookfield Properties and Yerba Buena Partnership were primary funders, supported by Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, and JMA Ventures and the Hearst Corporation. Brookfield Properties also managed construction throughout.
Yerba Buena Partnership invests in neighborhood beautification both in the long-term and short-term, as demonstrated during this construction period. In 2019 and 2020, SFMOMA exhibited a video mural titled The Chronicles of San Francisco by artist JR, which featured over 1,200 everyday San Franciscans. When partitions went up around Annie Plaza’s renovations, the Partnership worked with the museum to place stills of the video on their surfaces, turning a construction site into an engaging temporary public art site.
A New Life for the Plaza
At its completion in 2023, Annie Plaza showcased a refreshed, open, public space, with replaced and realigned light poles that added brightness and distinct paving that created a sense of place. Drawn to the refreshed plaza, local businesses The Lark Bar and Cask relocated to the Monadnock Building and the Future Bars ownership group opened new business The Dawn Club, with its front door opening straight into the plaza.
The openness of the public space and proximity to thriving businesses supports activities that have a positive impact in Yerba Buena and broader San Francisco. Future Bars was able to acquire a shared spaces permit, which has allowed them to provide outdoor seating and host several activations on the plaza. In 2024, Yerba Buena Partnership participated in Let’s Glow SF, the biggest light projection art festival in the country, utilizing Annie Plaza as the viewing space for art featured on the Palace Hotel’s historic facade. In 2025, Annie Plaza became the first of five Entertainment Zones in Yerba Buena, designating it as an area in which those 21+ can consume alcoholic beverages in public spaces during designated events.
Annie Plaza has taken a wholly new shape and purpose over the course of its renovation. 65,000 visitors passed through Annie Plaza in 2025, compared to 15,000 in 2019 (Placer.ai). Yerba Buena Partnership is proud to have been a facilitator in the Annie Plaza project, bringing neighborhood partners together to accomplish something positive for the community.
Learn more about Yerba Buena Partnership's placemaking initiatives here.