Potrero Hill’s Jackson Playground Gets $10 Million State Grant for Its $48 Million Rebuild

Jackson Playground, the Rec and Park field at 17th and Carolina streets on Potrero Hill, has been awarded a $10 million state grant toward a $48 million rebuild, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department announced the week of October 5, 2026. The money still needs approval from the Board of Supervisors before the city can spend it.

What the Rebuild Includes

According to the department’s project page, the plan reorients and repositions the existing sports fields so two games can run at the same time. The park also gets:

• A new playground and an outdoor multi-use ball court
• A dedicated dog play area
• Community gardens
• A performance stage and sports viewing areas
• A relocated clubhouse, moved to mid-block along Carolina Street and expanded by about 1,850 square feet, from 4,750 to 6,600 gross square feet, with a new kitchen, restrooms and an indoor stage

The project is a partnership between Rec and Park and Friends of Jackson Park, the neighborhood group that has worked on the plan since 2014, NBC Bay Area reported. The Recreation and Park Commission approved the concept design in March 2023, and the San Francisco Arts Commission gave the design unanimous approval.

Timeline

Rec and Park’s published schedule shows construction starting in late 2027 and the rebuilt park opening to the public in late 2029. Earlier reporting had pointed to a 2026 start. The department’s last formal update, in September 2025, said the design had reached 50 percent design development.

The park stays open in its current form until construction starts. It currently has two ballfields, a playground, an outdoor court with pickleball lines (added in October 2023) and the clubhouse.

How the $48 Million Adds Up

Earlier money for the project came from the city’s 2020 Health and Recovery Bond, the General Fund and Open Space Fund, neighborhood developers and individual donors, Hoodline reported. With the state award, NBC Bay Area and Hoodline both put the remaining gap at about $6 million. Rec and Park has not published a full line-by-line budget.

Visiting Potrero Hill This Month

Jackson Playground sits on the flat northern edge of Potrero Hill. The neighborhood’s 51st Potrero Hill Festival runs on 20th Street on Saturday, October 17. For more October plans, see Things to Do in San Francisco in October 2026.

Photo: Matt Joseph, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.