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Zocalo Coffee opens in Mission Bay pavilion 22 years after it was built

Zocalo Coffee opens in Mission Bay pavilion 22 years after it was built

Built World San Francisco, CA local

A two-year community campaign landed the first tenant for a waterfront space that sat vacant for two decades

7 days ago: Mission Local reports full story

Overview

Updated 5 days ago

A glass-walled cafe on Mission Creek sat empty for 22 years after the city built it as a restaurant space. On Aug. 1, 2026, Zocalo Coffee opened inside, activating a waterfront pavilion that had been vacant since completion.

The opening came after a two-year community campaign. Neighbors documented low usage of the space, enlisted District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, and pushed the parks department to lease it to a cafe operator. The building now does what planners envisioned in the 1998 Mission Bay plan: serve as a gathering place for the neighborhood.

Why it matters

The pavilion sat empty for 22 years. Residents proved community advocacy can unlock city-owned spaces stuck in bureaucratic limbo.

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Key Indicators

22 years
Vacancy between construction and opening
The pavilion sat empty from its 2003 completion until Zocalo opened in August 2026.
49
Rentals from July 2023 to February 2025
The pavilion was rented about two to three times per month after Rec and Park took over.
$29,980
Rental fees generated in that period
Fees from 49 rentals over about 19 months, per Rec and Park data.
3-year
Initial lease term
Zocalo's lease with Rec and Park includes two optional three-year extensions.
5.7 acres
Planned park expansion west of the pavilion
Mission Creek Park South Extension. Construction was set to begin in mid-2026; new parkland is expected by mid-2028.

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People Involved

Bettina Cohen
Bettina Cohen
Mission Bay resident and community advocate
Advocacy succeeded; cafe now open
 Bill Holt
Bill Holt
President, Mission Creek Harbor Association
Advocacy succeeded; cafe now open
 Matt Dorsey
Matt Dorsey
San Francisco District 6 Supervisor
Brokered the compromise that led to the cafe lease
SU
Sara Ubelhart
Owner, Zocalo Coffee
Guides first San Francisco location
 Dan Grace
Dan Grace
Co-owner, Zocalo Coffee
Managing the pavilion cafe's operations
 Sarah Madland
Sarah Madland
General Manager, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department
Oversaw the lease to Zocalo

Organizations Involved

San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department
San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department
City department
Owner of the pavilion since 2023; leased it to Zocalo

Manages most of San Francisco's parks and open spaces, including Mission Creek Park and its pavilion.
Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure
Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure
San Francisco government agency
Transferred pavilion to Rec and Park in 2023

Created after California dissolved redevelopment agencies; oversees completion of approved projects.
Zocalo Coffee
Zocalo Coffee
Small business (coffee roaster/cafe)
First tenant of the pavilion

San Leandro-based coffee roaster and cafe chain with locations in Oakland, San Leandro, and Hayward.
MC
Mission Creek Harbor Association
Community organization
Advocated for reopening the pavilion

Local nonprofit representing waterfront residents and businesses along Mission Creek.
SF
San Francisco Redevelopment Agency
Former city agency (dissolved 2012)
Built the pavilion in 2001-2003

City agency that led the Mission Bay redevelopment plan, finalized in 1998.

Timeline

January 1998 September 2026

12 events Latest: 7 days ago Showing 8 of 12
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Mission Local reports full story

    Latest Media

    Mission Local publishes the full history of the two-decade vacancy and how community advocacy ended it.

  2. Mission Creek Park South Extension schedule announced

    Development

    SF Rec and Park's project schedule calls for 5.7 acres of new open space west of the pavilion. Construction was set to begin in mid-2026, with new parkland expected to open in mid-2028.

  3. Zocalo opens in pavilion

    Opening

    Zocalo Coffee opens its first San Francisco location in the 22-year-vacant pavilion.

  4. Zocalo introduced as pavilion cafe operator

    Community meeting

    Rec and Park introduces Zocalo Coffee as the pavilion's cafe operator at a Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee meeting, with plans for coffee, food, baked goods, and liquor. Tentative hours were 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a spring opening target.

  5. Cafe lease request issued

    Policy

    Rec and Park issues official request for proposals to lease the pavilion as a cafe, the first serious activation attempt.

  6. Rental data reveals minimal use

    Data

    Rec and Park confirms 49 rentals and $29,980 generated since July 2023, about two to three rentals per month.

  7. Parks take over pavilion early

    Policy

    OCII accelerates the handoff of Mission Bay open spaces to Rec and Park, ahead of the planned 2046 transfer.

  8. Redevelopment agencies dissolved

    Policy

    Gov. Brown signs legislation dissolving all 400 local redevelopment agencies, including the agency that built the pavilion.

  9. Pavilion certified complete

    Construction

    The building receives its certification of completion. No lease is attempted.

  10. Food license obtained

    Permitting

    The building obtains a food and beverage handling license before completion.

  11. Pavilion formalized in city records

    Construction

    The Mission Creek Park Pavilion is formalized in San Francisco building inspection records.

  12. Mission Bay plan finalized

    Policy

    San Francisco adopts the redevelopment plan that shapes the Mission Bay district and its waterfront.

Scenarios

1

Zocalo Coffee thrives as Mission Bay's neighborhood anchor

Likely Resolves by Aug 1, 2027

Discussed by: Mission Local, Bettina Cohen, Matt Dorsey

The cafe builds a regular customer base among residents and workers in the surrounding new housing towers. It expands from soft-opening hours to full breakfast, lunch, and weekend service, becoming the gathering spot the pavilion was designed for. Success validates the community-driven leasing model and may prompt similar efforts at other city-owned park buildings.

2

Zocalo Coffee closes within two years

Possible Resolves by Aug 1, 2028

Discussed by: No named source has predicted this; based on retail foot-traffic concerns

Despite the enthusiasm, the pavilion sits at the edge of Mission Bay, away from the main pedestrian corridors. If the cafe can't generate enough foot traffic in the colder, wetter months, it may struggle to cover rent and staffing costs. A closure would return the pavilion to vacancy, potentially triggering a new RFP or a return to rental-only use.

3

City replicates the pavilion model for other underused park buildings

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: SF Rec and Park, Daniel Montes (parks spokesperson)

The partnership between a supervisor's office, community groups, and a small business could become a template. Rec and Park manages dozens of buildings with varying levels of use. If Zocalo succeeds, the department may proactively seek cafe operators for other vacant or underused park structures rather than waiting for communities to organize.

4

Park expansion brings more visitors to the cafe

Possible Resolves by Jul 1, 2028

Discussed by: SF Recreation and Parks project schedule; Hoodline

The 5.7-acre Mission Creek Park South Extension west of the pavilion is expected to open by mid-2028. New parkland could bring steady foot traffic to Zocalo, easing the risk that the pavilion's edge-of-Mission Bay location leaves the cafe quiet in off-peak months.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1998-2003

Ferry Building revitalization (2003)

The 1898 Ferry Building sat largely underused for decades after automobile bridges replaced ferry service. Starting in 1998, a public-private effort restored the building and converted its main hall into a food market, which opened in 2003.

Then

The Ferry Building drew crowds and new businesses to the Embarcadero within its first year.

Now

Became one of San Francisco's most successful public-space activations, generating significant revenue and anchoring the waterfront.

Why this matters now

Shows that a long-dormant public building with the right operator can become a district anchor. The pavilion follows the same playbook at a neighborhood scale.

1999-2009

The High Line, New York City (2009)

A 1.45-mile elevated rail line on Manhattan's West Side sat abandoned for two decades. A community-led nonprofit, Friends of the High Line, fought demolition and pushed for its transformation into a public park, which opened in 2009.

Then

The park drew millions of visitors and spurred billions in private development along its route.

Now

Became a global model for grassroots-driven adaptive reuse of infrastructure.

Why this matters now

Like the High Line, the pavilion's activation came from persistent community advocacy, not top-down city planning.

2012

California redevelopment agency dissolution (2012)

Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation dissolving all 400 local redevelopment agencies to redirect tax revenue to schools and counties. The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, which had built the Mission Creek Park Pavilion, was among them.

Then

A new successor agency, OCII, took over finishing approved projects. Mission Bay open spaces were slated for eventual transfer to city departments — but not until 2046.

Now

The dissolution left a gap in stewardship. No single department championed the pavilion's activation for years, and the building sat without a clear operator.

Why this matters now

The 22-year vacancy traces directly to the 2012 dissolution and the slow, complex handoff that followed.

Sources

(6)
Mission Local San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department Hoodline The Infatuation Eater Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure