Margaret Hayward Playground reopens after $28 million renovation

A park and community center in San Francisco’s Western Addition reopened Friday after undergoing a $28 million renovation, officials with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department said.

The newly renovated Margaret Hayward Playground, located at 1016 Laguna St., includes a new children’s play area, a community clubhouse with a kitchen and extra space for senior and youth programs, and a plaza that can also be used as a stage.

In addition, a new mural by artist Emory Douglas decorates the clubhouses’ interior.

Other improvements include improved basketball courts, a multi-use sports field, two expanded baseball fields with synthetic turf and the city’s first new all-gender restroom at a park site.

Mayor London Breed said in a statement:

“Margaret Hayward was my childhood playground and it’s amazing to see its transformation into a space that will be enjoyed by San Francisco kids and families for years to come. I grew up loving and appreciating the park as a vital gathering space for the entire community. With these new top-to-bottom improvements, Margaret Hayward is truly a neighborhood jewel that will continue to shine for generations.”

Supervisor Dean Preston, whose district includes the Western Addition, said the “renovations come at a crucial time” for families in the neighborhood, adding:

“Now more than ever, every child deserves to play in a safe, clean, and fun environment, and the updated playground will serve our families for years to come.”

The reopening comes just two weeks after city health officials moved to reopen more than 180 outdoor playgrounds across the city, after more than seven months of closure due to Covid-19.

According to recreation and park officials, youth programming at the clubhouse will be provided by the YMCA.

The project, which broke ground in 2018, was funded largely in part by the San Francisco Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond, which voters approved in 2012.