Picture a street in Bayview-Hunters Point on a warm afternoon.
There’s shade overhead, and not the thin kind. Real tree canopy, the kind that makes you slow down. Native plants line the edges, humming with pollinators. When the rain comes, it doesn’t race downhill. It soaks into the ground, right where it falls.
And the basketball court is full again. Kids call for the ball, neighbors linger on the sidelines, and nobody thinks about drainage, because it just works.
That’s the vision behind Mariner’s Village. And it’s closer to real than you might think.
Here’s What It Looks Like Now
Mariner’s Village sits in an industrial-adjacent corridor of Bayview-Hunters Point, a community that has lived next to heavy industry for generations.
Today: there’s very little tree canopy, so little shade and little relief from the heat. When it rains, the water has nowhere to go. Streets and lots are mostly hard surfaces, so rain runs straight down Kirkwood, flooding the basketball court and many of the neighborhood’s parking areas. The court itself has been abandoned, a gathering place the neighborhood has lost. All that runoff ends up in the city’s sewer system.
The plan: a “neighborhood enclave,” where residential corridors become resilient, lush places to live. Trees, permeable ground, and green space are built into the streets people already use, so rain is absorbed before it becomes a flood.
Two Problems, Two Grants
A project like this doesn’t fit in a single funding bucket, so it’s being built with two.
The water and the trees: a Green Infrastructure Grant. In January 2024, Greening Projects secured a $1.15 million Green Infrastructure Grant from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to build large-scale climate resilience into the neighborhood. Three goals guide the work:
🌧️ Soak up the rain. Specialized landscaping and permeable surfaces absorb and filter stormwater naturally. That means less flooding on the street and less pressure on the sewer system.
🌳 Grow the canopy. Climate-adapted trees will cool the block and clean the air in a neighborhood that has gone without for too long.
⚖️ Share the benefits. Bayview is an “equity priority” neighborhood, which means the people who have waited longest should get the greening first. The improvements come at no direct cost to residents.
The court: a Community Challenge Grant. A separate, recent Community Challenge Grant from the City of San Francisco will bring the abandoned basketball court back to life.
The two fit together. Greening the street means the court stops flooding, and restoring the court gives people a reason to be out there under the new trees. One grant handles the water and the shade; the other handles the gathering place.
The Skill Behind the Scenes
Pairing funding from two different city programs takes more than a good idea. Each has its own requirements, timelines, and paperwork, and it takes a steady hand to make them work together.
That’s where Greening Projects comes in as the project’s fiscal sponsor. It provides the nonprofit status needed to receive and manage the grants, handles the City’s reporting, auditing, and insurance requirements, and oversees contracts like civil engineering and topographic surveying. The goal is for the money to go into the ground, not into red tape.
Partners from other Greening Projects initiatives say the same:
“Greening Projects has been quickly responsive with answers whenever I have needed advice about applying for a grant or how to proceed with managing funding once a grant is awarded. They have been easy to reach and are willing to discuss a situation to find the best solution. I feel I can rely on their expertise.”
Fran Martin, Project Leader, Visitacion Valley Engage Green
The on-the-ground work is just as careful:
Reading the land. Topographic surveys and civil engineering reviews ensure that water drains properly and that the design can be built.
Choosing the right plants. Native, drought-tolerant species are picked to thrive in Bayview’s climate and support local pollinators.
Come Grow It With Us
This is a long-term commitment, and there’s room for neighbors and supporters to be part of it.
📬 Follow along. The newsletter will share updates as groundbreaking and planting milestones arrive.
🙌 Volunteer. Join a stewardship day and help care for the new green corridors.
💚 Donate. Your gift helps bring projects like this to other neighborhoods that have waited too long.
Mexican Spirits & Wine Tasting
Mexican Spirits & Wine Tasting
A Fundraiser for Ogden Avenue Gardens
We had so much fun last year; we’re doing it again — premium tequila, smoky mezcal, and the wines of Mexico, poured for a good cause.
Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the rich spirits and wines of Mexico. Sip your way through exclusive tastings paired with small bites crafted to complement every pour. Gather with friends, savor the flavors, and raise a glass for something worth growing.
All proceeds benefit Ogden Avenue Gardens — help us grow something beautiful for our community.
📅 Saturday, October 17, 2026
🕕 6:00 – 9:00 PM
📍 Baukunst, 433 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
Come thirsty, leave inspired.