HOW THE GROVE CAME TO BE

Minnesota Street was once a largely abandoned right of way that had seen many informal and formal uses over the decades, including as a dumping area and storage yard. This portion of Minnesota Street was an unaccepted street, meaning it exists on paper but isn't officially managed by the City. These types of streets were not uncommon in Dogpatch, and some streets still fall into this category today.

The forgotten streetscape caught the attention of Redmond Lyons and Michael Spaer as they were developing housing along Minnesota in the 1990s. They saw a golden opportunity for the unaccepted street and wanted to transform the 36’-0” wide strip from a rough and rocky outcrop into an intentional looking planting area. Lyons and Spaer brought in soil, trees, and a few plants to start the garden. David Hall would later continue building on their work in 2004. He drew from his plant collection and unique specimen finds. What was at first an experiment in guerrilla gardening, eventually expanded into a carefully curated full-blown public botanic garden complete with a meandering path, small gathering areas, and seating opportunities.

The design process

In 2015 the Green Benefit District (GBD) recognized the unique beauty of the project and provided additional stewardship. And, with the founding of the Minnesota Street Project in 2016, the Grove and Dogpatch found itself as a new locus in the Bay Area art world. 

However, the Grove had not yet reached 25th Street due to an active yard and heavy truck traffic. The resulting condition created challenging pedestrian and cyclist safety concerns. In 2019 the GBD reached out to Fletcher Studio to complete the long sought after extension to 25th Street. The GBD had a strong working relationship with adjacent property owners, neighbors, and San Francisco public agencies after working in the area for years. They used those relationships to work their magic and turn the project around from concept to construction in less than a year. The resulting extension enhanced pedestrian safety while still allowing full functionality of the adjacent workshops.

The Minnesota Grove Extension brings the color and materials from the original Grove into the extension: decomposed granite, concrete, and stonework continued the palette while adjusting them to fit the busy industrial corner. The ground plane transitions from gentle curves to a series of angles, and decomposed granite gives way tan concrete. The Extension is complimented by a shifted planting design to focus on extremely low water use palette of succulents, aloes, and California natives. New and reclaimed stone create planting beds, informal sculptures, and a pedestrian bulbout. A series of paving shifts in color, line, and material organize pedestrian connections to Minnesota Grove and allow for maintenance and work vehicles to use the adjacent facility. 

Thank you to the GBD & Julie Christensen for the site history and their continued support and collaboration. Thanks also to Holzmueller Productions, adjacent property owner; Lainez, Inc. & Michael Heavey for their construction work; and to David Hall.