Artist Brian Barneclo is proposing what may become the city’s largest mural project along the Caltrain turn at Seventh and Townsend Streets.
The Mission Bay Community Advisory Committee met Thursday to discuss Barneclo’s plan, on top of regular meeting fare like signs for the upcoming UCSF medical center and development news.
Barneclo’s work would be 40 feet tall and a whopping 600 feet long. The mural would be painted on the now maroon wall blocking Caltrain tracks from Crescent Cove, an apartment complex along Berry Street. Staff at Precita Eyes Mural Arts guessed that would easily make the mural the largest in San Francisco.
In addition to its size, the mural may take on extra significance because it will mark the end of the Caltrain ride from the south bay. It appears directly before the Fourth and King train station, the last stop for Caltrain.
“The idea of systems and interconnectivity is just something that keeps coming up for me,” Barneclo said, describing his vision for the wall as the interaction of natural and human systems.
He’s produced several murals in San Francisco, including one inside Nopa Restaurant, the Bay Guardian’s building, and the food chain mural at Foods Co.
“Can I do this, lemme try to go for it, I think I can,” Barneclo said about his own process of approaching the enormous project.
“You better know you can,” joked a committee member.
More details are available on Barneclo’s website
. The project awaits a three month Caltrain approval process, and it also needs the consent of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and Focil-MB, the landowner.
Barneclo hopes to begin painting in the summer and estimates the total project will cost $75,000, money he hopes to raise from events and donors. Adobe Systems, which has an office on Townsend across the street from the site, has already promised $10,000, Barneclo said.
Fourth Street Saga
The city plans to have Fourth Street open March 19.
“Seriously,” stated Catherine Reilly, acting project manager for the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. “Which year?” asked committee member Terezia Nemeth mischevieously.
Fourth Street was planned as Mission Bay’s major pedestrian and bike thoroughfare. Though the road’s been complete for many months, various factors have stalled its official opening, most recently conflict between city agencies regarding whether the street can be opened before stop lights are installed.
Pedestrians and bicyclists already regularly sneak through the closed block of Fourth Street, traveling to and from the UCSF campus.
It’s likely that at least one stop sign will remain until a light can be installed.
Take Me Out to the Ball Park, but don’t Park
Kevin Beauchamp, UCSF’s director of physical planning, warned that the university will begin ticketing cars parked illegally on Sixth Street, roughly coinciding with the beginning of baseball season.
“Baseball season and tow truck season go hand in hand,” said Erik Smith, a committee member and candidate for District 10 Supervisor.
Roadwork
Phil Owen, president of the Mission Bay Development Group, updated the committee on what’s happening with roadwork.
Owens said that the company will start the bid process for roadwork in the northwest corner of Mission Bay. The traffic circle and roads there will connect Seventh Street and the north of Channel area to the south of Channel area. Once the work begins – Owen said the company’s hoping for around May – it will be an 18-month project.
His company implements infrastructure for the area’s master developer, Focil-MB, LLC, which is owned by Farallon Capital Management.
Police, Fire, and Wastewater Management
A bond measure to fund local police, fire, and a new San Francisco police headquarters has been approved by the city and will go on to the June ballot.
Reilly said that the Public Utilities Commission will complete its odor reduction project this summer and wants to track any odor problems in the meanwhile. If people experience odors near the Seventh Street side of Mission Creek, they should call 311 immediately.
That’s a really neat mural. Very 50’s mod. And not the typical didactic pathos-filled political mural. Actual art, instead of propaganda. Imagine that.
Here’s a story I wrote about the planned HQ. I’ve written a couple things about it, so I didn’t elaborate in this story:
http://missionlocal.org/2009/12/mission-bay-roundup-sf’s-new-police-hq/
As I understand it, the new headquarters will be offices and the like. I believe the current plans are to keep the jail at the Hall of Justice, but who knows what will happen. It sounds like the police department isn’t going to count its chickens before the bond gets passed.
The crime lab component of the bond got cut.
Here’s an SFGate story about the board vote on the bond:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/24/BAA01C61VN.DTL&tsp=1
Hope that helps
-Anrica
“A bond measure to fund local police, fire, and a new San Francisco police headquarters has been approved by the city and will go on to the June ballot.”
Any links to describe the bond measure? Or the design goals of the new police headquarters? What’s going to happen to the Hall of Justice if this passes? Thanks.
fyi: Brian Barneclo currently has a solo show at fabric8 galleries at 3318 22nd street (near Valencia). A number of the works on display are studies for this mural project. Please come by.