Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced a groundbreaking $100 million donation to San Francisco’s parks, the largest-ever single-donor gift to the city in its history.
Mayor Daniel Lurie joined Chesky for the announcement last week in Golden Gate Park.
Chesky founded Airbnb in San Francisco 18 years ago and the company is still headquartered there. For him, the donation is about “giving back to the city that made Airbnb possible”.
The new resources will speed up construction timelines, deliver upgrades and programming, and close funding gaps.
“San Francisco has nature, parks, beaches, and views that you can’t find anywhere else, with affordable recreation programs where a kid discovers a love of baseball, a teenager finds mentorship, and a working parent knows their children are safe after school,” said Mayor Lurie.
“San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and our parks are a big part of what makes it special,” said Chesky. “I’ve always believed in the power of bringing people together, and parks are where a city meets.”
An initial $39 million will immediately be dedicated to the first five projects listed below, and the remaining $61 million will support additional projects to be identified over the next year by the Parks Department.
- Rachele Sullivan Park, a new half-acre property on 11th Street will open three years ahead of schedule, with a half-basketball court, fitness area, children’s play area, and shaded seating.
- At Garfield Square Park in the Mission, the funding will expand pool hours to add Sunday and also resurface a playground.
- For India Basin Waterfront Park, a new 10-acre coastal park in Bayview-Hunters Point, the new money will fund a gravel beach, boat house, adventure playground, and basketball courts, and close a gap in the Bay Trail.
- In Potrero Hill, Jackson Playground and the historic clubhouse will be fully renovated.
- Downtown’s waterfront will gain a signature public space as the city and partners join the former Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park into a single five-acre waterfront park.
“Public parks are not just patches of green; they are the social, physical, and backbone of our neighborhoods,” said District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar. “This investment is an extraordinary gift to San Francisco families.”
“I learned to fish at India Basin and went to softball tryouts at Garfield. Those are some of my favorite memories of growing up in San Francisco,” said Joi Jackson-Morgan, CEO of Third Street Youth Center. “What makes me hopeful about this investment is how many more families will get to make memories, whether it’s a Sunday swim at Garfield or a first trip down to the waterfront in Hunters Point.”
“We can’t thank Brian Chesky enough for prioritizing beauty and great civic spaces and for adding momentum to San Francisco’s economic recovery downtown and beyond,” said David Stiepleman, Board Chair of the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation.
“We’re thrilled this amazing gift will help get shovels in the ground for the Embarcadero Park project we’ve worked on with our amazing and visionary partners at San Francisco Rec and Park, Crankstart, BXP, and the Downtown SF Partnership.”
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