Will Fillmore Plaza Really Jazz Up the Nabe?

The Fillmore Center's once-bland, now pastel renovated plaza was welcomed with relatively open arms this weekend in the project's official celebratory unveiling. Willie Brown dedicated the plaza, saying it "represents a new, emerging community"-- one which is more a future hope than a current reality. The most positive review the Chron could round-up from the neighborhood? One local called it "a new addition." Hmm. New indeed: The 16,000 square foot, $2 million plaza is meant to invite neighborly outdoor chillaxing in the Fillmore jazz tradition, plus revitalize the once-blighted-and-still-sort-of-hurting area with new restaurants and businesses. Because loitering is so conducive to commerce! Some of you took issue with our cynical assertion that all those "nooks" might be used for anything other than facilitating impromptu community drum circles, but we'd once again like to point out: 16,000 square feet. With seating for more than 300 and nooks. At O'Farrell and Fillmore. Just saying.
· New life for Fillmore as Plaza gets a makeover [SF Gate]
· Jazz Hands!: Hillmore Center Debuts [Curbed SF]For more stories from Curbed SF, go to sf.curbed.com.