San Francisco Plans First Public Park Honoring Gay Leather Culture
San Francisco is set to receive the world's first public park honoring gay leather culture, anchoring the city's iconic South of Market neighborhood and the gay-owned bars and shops that line its main drag.
According to The Bay Area Reporter, initial design ideas for Eagle Plaza prominently feature the leather flag colors blue, black , white and red throughout. When finished, it'll also boast a road for local traffic, benches, trees, a jungle gym, a mini-deck and tables and chairs for the food trucks that may call the park home.
The parks' primary backers are the owners of the local Eagle, a gay bar that faces the now-empty lot. The BAR reports they've been instrumental in pushing the idea through a local community board, which will meet next week to give feedback before official plans for Eagle Plaza are presented for city approval.
"There is a lack of public space like this in this area. It is very much needed," said Eagle co-owner Alex Montiel. "Something like this is very much needed for anybody who lives around here. There are no parks nearby."
More than a fancy name and heritage, the park "would provide an active hub for the LGBTQ community and added green space for the immediate neighborhood" said Hannah Smith, a project manager for the plaza's design firm UP Urban Design.
No full renderings of the complete park are available, but a proposed layout is posted to the park's own website.