Commission Greenlights $34M Powell Street Overhaul to Combat 70% Vacancy

San Francisco's Public Works Commission unanimously awarded a $34.15 million contract to Clark Construction to transform three blocks of Powell Street — the city's most visible symbol of downtown's post-pandemic decline — into a pedestrian destination by November 2027. The Feb. 26 meeting also featured extensive Lunar New Year preparations across Chinatown and routine contract approvals, all passing without opposition from the three commissioners present.

• $34.15M contract awarded to Clark Construction for the Powell Street Improvement Project, Public Works' first-ever infrastructure project using the construction manager/general contractor delivery method

• Nearly 70% of storefronts on the three-block stretch sit vacant, making the corridor a top priority for the Mayor's downtown revitalization strategy

• Resolution amended on the fly to correct the construction-phase not-to-exceed amount to $33,105,991

• Commissioners flag construction disruption risks, citing pedestrian challenges from the prior Taylor Street project

• Chinatown gets a deep clean ahead of the March 7 Chinese New Year Parade, with Broadway tunnel scouring, lamp post painting, and pothole repairs along the 1.3-mile route