Following the implosion of the SF Parks Alliance last month, the Port of San Francisco is now on the hook for $1.9 million in construction costs at Dogpatch's Crane Cove Park that were supposed to be covered by money in the nonprofit's coffers.
We learned back in May that one of the big projects underway that was dependent on funds from the SF Parks Alliance was Crane Cove Park in Dogpatch, where two playgrounds were still yet to be built in addition to a dog park. A private donation from the Baker Street Foundation, which was created by late Oracle co-founder Bob Miner, had been held by the Parks Alliance and was intended to cover these improvement costs at the park.
But, that approximately $1.9 million sum disappeared amidst the Parks Alliance's early June collapse, allegedly used to cover the nonprofit's operating expenses.
The Port of San Francisco is still pledging to get Crane Cove Park completed as planned, but as the Chronicle reports today, this will come at the expense of other "beautification" efforts on the city's southern waterfront.
Port Executive Director Elaine Forbes reportedly told the Port Commission that, after reducing some construction costs, they were still short about $1.54 million, which will have to come from the Southern Waterfront Beautification Fund, which is funded through rents that that Port collects on its properties. This will mean fewer plants, benches, and other improvements that were planned for areas along the Bay, and it will also mean taking away funds intended for the removal of some old container cranes at Pier 96.
A spokesperson for the Port told the Chronicle that they will still plan on making these improvements at a later date, and may look for "potential grant funding and other public-private partnerships" to cover the costs.
As reported previously, the SF Parks Alliance served as a catch-all repository for funds raised by various "friends of" neighborhood parks groups, relieving them of the hassle of seeking their own nonprofit status. The Alliance also worked in tandem with the Rec & Parks and Public Works departments to fill in funding gaps for various projects around the city, and the group used to host summertime screenings of popular movies in Dolores Park and Alamo Square Park.
Parks Alliance leadership remain under investigation for the alleged misuse of some $3.8 million that rightfully belonged to a host of smaller organizations, which it used to cover its own expenses as its own donation revenue dropped.
Another example of a group that has lost its funds is Sutro Stewards, a group that maintains trails and leads conservations efforts around Mount Sutro, which says it had $187,000 in donations being held in the Alliance's accounts. The organization temporarily shut down in early June and laid off its staff following the dissolution of the Parks Alliance, but thanks in part to fiscal sponsor Liveable City and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark and other donors, they were able to re-raise enough money to reopen within weeks.
"More than anything, we are deeply moved by the support from our community," the group said in its newsletter. "We are committed to continue to care for the Mountain that we all depend on for so much."
Top image: Photo by Luke Stewart
