San Francisco Public Works

Public Works is pleased to announce the following grant request for proposal:

Sourcing Event ID: 0000011899
Tree Planting and Watering Workforce Development Program

PLEASE NOTE: ONLY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.

Refer to the Request for Proposals (RFP) document for details regarding submission of proposals. Digital files of the RFP documents and addenda must be downloaded at https://bsm.sfdpw.org/ContractAdmin/Login.aspx

San Francisco Public Works (Public Works), a department of the City and County of San Francisco (City), seeks to award one grant to a fully established 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in San Francisco through the evaluation and selection process as described in the RFP.

Maximum Budget Request: $6,750,000

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: San Francisco Public Works seeks a qualified partner to plant 2,000 replacement street trees in existing vacant tree basins over two years, and to provide ongoing weekly watering for up to 2,000 trees per year from a list provided by Public Works. The grant scope does not include planting new trees or new tree basin creation and is eligible for a 12-month extension. The selected Grantee will carry out comprehensive tree‑care services — including site identification, planting, young‑tree care, and routine watering — while adhering to all Public Works standards for inspection, species selection, safety, and tree‑care protocols. This work directly supports the City’s Urban Forest Plan and contributes to growing the street tree population to 155,000 trees over the next two decades.

In addition to tree‑care operations, the program includes a workforce development component designed to provide career pathways in urban forestry for San Francisco residents who face employment barriers. The Grantee will recruit, train, and supervise 8–10 participants annually, offering both arboricultural field training and job‑readiness instruction. Participants will receive hands‑on experience in planting, watering, pruning, and site maintenance, with an expectation that at least 35% of participants transition into unsubsidized full‑time employment within six months of program completion. This combined approach allows Public Works to advance environmental goals while expanding equitable access to green‑sector careers.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: A pre-proposal conference will be held on Monday, June 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM via Microsoft Teams:

Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/295742229435794?p=Fn72H3ui2aCPIMWbxB
Meeting ID: 295 742 229 435 794
Passcode: B2ku3o9b

Dial in by phone
+1 415-906-4659,,716227809 # United States, San Francisco
Find a local number: https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/6ab5bcf2-34a3-4844-8511-4e51fb43f358?id=716227809
Phone conference ID: 716 227 809 #

Prospective proposers may also email Dulce A. Garcia at:
[email protected] to request a direct meeting invitation.

Questions regarding the RFP must be submitted no later than Wednesday June 24, 2026 by 12:00 PM by email to Grant Administrator Dulce A. Garcia at: [email protected]

SUBMISSION: The Department may modify the RFP prior to the Proposal due date by issuing an Addendum to the RFP; please check https://bsm.sfdpw.org/ContractAdmin/Login.aspx for
updates. Applicants shall submit their application as specified and required in the RFP no later than Wednesday, July 8, 2026 by 5:00 PM. Late submittals may not be considered unless you provide evidence of a software error.

Like a sand-colored stream of lava, concrete steadily billowed out of a thick black hose on a chilly May morning in the Western Addition, laying the groundwork for a transformational renovation of a decades-old park and gathering space.

Patiently, the viscous mass crept in between the rebar grid and sidled up against the wooden forms holding it in place. As if trudging through quicksand, crews in hard hats and reflective vests waded through the concrete-filled rectangles, scraping shovels across the wet surface to spread out the material and flinging heaps of it from one end to the other. With the help of hammers and vibrating tools, they made sure to leave no air pockets as the nascent structures took shape.

To the naked eye, the concrete pours – creating retaining walls for a future playground and a ramp and stairs to a new performance stage as part of the Buchanan Street Mall Renovation Project – looked like any other. A central plank of most construction projects, a routine foundational step at sites across the City.

But this specific kind of concrete is built different. Literally.

Through its special makeup, a mixture that uses less carbon-intensive cement and instead substitutes other more climate-friendly materials, it constitutes an alternative to conventional concrete. Expanded use of the material is part of a green-building revolution – from solar panels to mass timber – that aims to reduce any given project’s carbon footprint and tamp down greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide or CO2.

​“The cement part of concrete creates a lot of CO2 emissions, and that’s what we’re trying to avoid from an environmental, global warming standpoint,” said Jennifer Cooper, Public Works’ landscape architecture bureau manager and a member of the department’s climate action team.

Concrete is made up of rocks, water, air and cement, with the latter acting as a glue. The key to low carbon concrete is swapping some of the cement part with other materials, such as fly ash or slag.

​“Replacing that cement and modifying it actually is a secret sauce to lowering carbon emissions,” said Brian Reyes, senior circular economy coordinator with the SF Environment Department.

​In the case of the Buchanan Mall Renovation Project – a long-overdue makeover of the pedestrian walkway and City park that runs on a traffic-free stretch of Buchanan Street, from Eddy Street to Grove Street – officials estimate that using low carbon concrete will translate to a reduction in carbon between 20-30% compared to a build using conventional materials.

​Once the pours wrap up, Reyes and his team – who are tracking the pilot project – will have hard numbers to measure the climate impacts.

Public Works is leading the design of the project and managing construction on behalf of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, which is managing the overall project and operates the park.

Learn more: https://www.sanfranciscopublicworks.org/may2026

Mayor Daniel Lurie yesterday signed legislation allowing the City to accept $14.5 million in private funding to revitalize the Powell Street corridor, connecting the cable car turnaround at Market Street to historic Union Square and accelerating downtown’s revitalization.

The Powell Street Improvement Project – which is being overseen by Public Works – represents a comprehensive reimagination of the streetscape along the three blocks from Market Street to Geary Street. The redesign includes new and widened sidewalks, fresh landscaping and updated cable car stops. There will be ample sidewalk space for restaurants and cafes to set up tables and chairs.

Public Works will be providing project management and construction management services. In collaboration with Field Operations, Public Works also will be providing engineering and design support services.

“With our Heart of the City plan, we are building a downtown that is full of energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Today, we are taking another major step toward that reality with an investment that will help transform Powell Street into a world-class gateway connecting visitors, workers, residents, and shoppers to Union Square and the heart of downtown San Francisco,” said Mayor Lurie. “Downtown’s recovery is not the work of any one sector – it takes city government, community organizations, small businesses, major employers, and civic leaders all pulling in the same direction. A stronger downtown means more jobs, more visitors supporting local businesses, and more revenue to fund the services San Franciscans rely on across our city. When downtown thrives, every neighborhood benefits.”

Art nouveau-inspired hanging lanterns – a nod to the area’s historic architecture – will line the corridor. The programmable LED lights can display different colors to elevate seasonal events and civic celebrations. The showstopper in the redesign will be a giant overhead starburst chandelier suspended above the cable car turnaround at Market and Powell streets.

The $14.5 million in private investment from the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation augments $26 million in public funding from the 2024 Healthy, Safe and Vibrant San Francisco Bond and the pot of local sales tax revenue designated for transportation projects.

Construction is anticipated to start by fall 2026, with substantial completion expected in 2027.

“This reimagining of the Powell Street streetscape made possible by the public-private partnership will build on the momentum of the City’s continued resurgence by creating a more dynamic, safer, and more welcoming experience,” said Public Works Director Carla Short. “The benefits of transforming these three blocks will stretch beyond this corridor to revitalize the broader downtown neighborhood.”

Read the news release: https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-lurie-signs-legislation-advancing-145-million-grant-for-powell-street-renovation-to-accelerate-san-franciscos-economic-comeback

Earlier this week, Public Works joined Mayor Daniel Lurie, City officials and community members to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Portsmouth Square Improvement Project, a $73 million investment in Chinatown that will transform the neighborhood’s historic public square with a new community clubhouse, expanded play areas, flexible event space and more room for residents to gather.

Known as Chinatown’s “Living Room,” Portsmouth Square is San Francisco’s oldest public square and one of the City’s most important historic sites. The square has been at the center of San Francisco's story since the City's earliest days, serving as the site of California's first public school and as a gathering place for generations of residents in the heart of Chinatown.

“Portsmouth Square is where the Chinatown community gathers, and they should have a space as vibrant and dynamic as any public space in our city. That’s why the city is investing $73 million in this community,” said Mayor Lurie. “This project will deliver upgrades that will benefit generations of Chinatown residents. Portsmouth Square has been here since the beginning of San Francisco, and with this investment, it will be here for everything that comes next.”

Public Works is overseeing construction management and project delivery on behalf of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. The San Francisco Arts Commission is guiding the integration of cultural and historical elements through existing monuments and new public art. Construction is expected to be completed in 2028.

The redesigned park will feature a new 8,300-square-foot community clubhouse with meeting rooms and a commercial catering kitchen; a larger playground and new adult fitness area; a flexible outdoor plaza and stage for performances, cultural celebrations and community events; more shade, seating and gathering space; new landscaping and lighting; restoration of existing public art and addition of two new commissioned pieces designed specifically for Portsmouth Square; and accessibility improvements throughout the park.

The project will also remove the Kearny Street pedestrian bridge, opening up the square, creating more usable public space and better connecting the park to the surrounding neighborhood. In addition to the new amenities, the project includes critical repairs and upgrades beneath the park, strengthening the foundation of this important community space.

“The community-driven reimagination of this iconic public square in the heart of Chinatown will balance cultural identity with modern amenities to meet today's needs and benefit the next generation,” said Public Works Director Carla Short. “Our team is honored to deliver this project on behalf of our city partners, neighborhood leaders, and, perhaps most importantly, Portsmouth Square’s cross-generational visitors.”

Read the news release: https://www.sf.gov/news-mayor-daniel-lurie-breaks-ground-on-transformation-of-chinatowns-historic-portsmouth-square

Today’s Neighborhood Beautification Day brought dozens of community volunteers out to the Sunset, Parkside and other District 4 neighborhoods to clean and green San Francisco!

Balmy weather fueled high spirits and hard work, inspiring volunteers to take part in projects including pruning, litter pickup, median landscaping, graffiti removal and the planting of six trees on 28th Avenue.

Earlier today, Public Works staff and community members helped plant six street trees along Turk Street, near Jones and Leavenworth streets, to commemorate Pride Month and the 60th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot, which occurred in August 1966 in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, marking the beginning of transgender activism in the City.

The Tenderloin is home to The Transgender District, created in 2018 as Compton's Transgender Cultural District, the nation's first legally recognized district dedicated to the transgender, nonbinary and intersex community.

The tree planting – in partnership with the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, nonprofit SFLuv and The Transgender District – boosts the tree canopy in this diverse neighborhood.

Thank you to all who joined us!

We held our fifth annual flag raising event at our Operations Yard today to officially kick off our Pride Month celebrations.

The ritual of raising a flag provides us an opportunity to join together in celebration and remembrance. The colorful Pride flag is a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community – a show of support and recognition that ours is an inclusive department where everyone is welcome. It is a value we strive to uphold every day, but shine a brighter light on during our June Pride Month celebrations.

We wish everyone a happy Pride Month!

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

ANNUAL OCEAN BEACH SAND RELOCATION PROJECT STARTS TUESDAY, JUNE 2

The operation aims to reduce recurring sand buildup on the Great Highway

Starting Tuesday, June 2, San Francisco Public Works will begin its annual sand maintenance activities at Ocean Beach. City crews will redistribute approximately 24,000 pounds of sand over the next two weeks. The aim is to decrease the likelihood of sand buildup on the adjacent Great Highway – now an oceanside park known as Sunset Dunes – during windy weather.

Public Works Operations staff will use front-end loaders, backhoes and other heavy machinery to reduce the height and width of the sand dunes and move sand away from the roadway and toward the ocean – efforts that have been shown in past years to delay the natural progression of sand encroachment onto the Great Highway.

Crews will be on the job weekdays, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The work will focus on the stretch of beach between Noriega Street and Santiago Street. The sand buildup near Judah Street then will be addressed if time permits.

Considered an active construction site, people and their pets should keep at least 50 feet from the heavy machinery as a safety precaution.

Public Works has a small window to perform the annual sand redistribution work; it must be timed to make sure crews do not disturb the Western Snowy Plover, a small shorebird that is protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The plovers can be found at Ocean Beach about 10 months out of the year but take off in the spring or early summer to nest in other coastal areas and inland salt flats. Monitors with the federal Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) have confirmed that the plovers have left Ocean Beach and that it is safe to begin relocating the sand.

The work is being done in coordination with the GGNRA and under a special-use permit for activities that occur on federal parklands.