From Blight to Award Winning Jewel

What a transformation from a neglected, graffiti-tagged shell of a Conservatory to an award-winning jewel.

We were over the moon when the Friends won one of four coveted San Francisco Beautiful Awards for the Conservatory restoration. The Conservatory was also awarded Project of the Year Award 2009 for Historic Restorations (under $5 million). The honor was granted to the SF Department of Public Works by the Northern California chapter of the American Public Works Association covering 11 counties.

Learn more about the colorful [history] of the Conservatory.

Project: City + County of SF Recreation and Park Department Capital Improvements Division, and Department of Public Works. Funded by General Fund Supplemental Appropriation and Neighborhood Parks Bond. Contractor: BCCI.

Design: CCSF Department of Public Works Bureau of Architecture and Bureau of Engineering Landscape Architecture, Mechanical and Electrical Sections. Project Manager: Paulina Araica, San Francisco RPD. Architect: Andrew Maloney, Bureau of Architecture. Landscape Architect: Edward Chin, DPW. Pro-Bono Landscape Architect: Vera Gates, Arterra, San Francisco. Consultant/Palm Specialist: Kenneth Allen. Jason Dewees from Flora Grubb Gardens. Public Art Component, “Sunnyside Menagerie,” artist-team Wowhaus. Public Art Competition under San Francisco Arts Commission, Judy Moran, Senior Project Manager. Back Gate Design and Fabrication, neighbor Mary Revelli (1-Off designs), funded by San Francisco Beautiful. Friends of Sunnyside Conservatory Co-chairs since 1999: Arnold Levine and Stacy Garfinkel. Photography: Bill Wilson.

Budget: $4.2M including $2.8M for construction cost and $1.4M for project control consisting of project management, planning, design, permits and reviews by regulatory agencies and construction management fees.