SF Gun Range Site to Become Public Park?

A former toxic gun range site on the west shore of San Francisco's Lake Merced is poised for transformation into a public park, approximately 12 years after its last shotgun blast. Following extensive cleanup of 88,000 tons of contaminated soil completed by 2016 and a second remediation phase in 2025 that removed lead and asbestos, the roughly 10-acre parcel is ready for development.

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department is now issuing a request for proposals to find a private partner to build and operate Lake Merced West. This approach aims to ensure the park's financial feasibility, with potential amenities including a new boathouse and restaurant.

This privatization strategy has met with some skepticism from local residents and rowing club members, who recall a previous concessionaire backing out in 2016 due to project costs. The department states it currently lacks the necessary funding to develop the park independently.

Potential park features could include trails, picnic areas, water sports facilities, and fitness activities, but concerns have been raised about the operational costs and the potential for commercialization, with a public comment referencing the controversial Skystar Observation Wheel as an example of unwelcome private development.