South San Francisco, CA October 24, 2023 Submitted by Christina Fernandez, MPA | (she/her/hers) Deputy City Manager | Chief Sustainability Officer
The City of South San Francisco will celebrate the grand opening of the new Library | Parks & Recreation Center at 901 Civic Campus Way on Saturday, October 28, 2023, starting at 11:00 a.m. This event is free and open to the public, and will feature live music, food trucks, program demonstrations, entertainment, a Dia de Muertos / Day of the Dead art exhibit, and activities for all ages throughout the building.
The new Library | Parks & Recreation Center demonstrates a commitment to expanding access to learning, recreation, and social gathering opportunities for the community. The 80,000 square foot building will serve as the new home for the Main Library (formerly on West Orange Avenue) and the Municipal Services Building (formerly on Arroyo Drive). The building includes spacious event rooms, a teaching/catering kitchen, dance and exercise studios, classrooms for all ages, art and craft spaces, a gallery room, contemporary library spaces, Library Department and Parks and Recreation Department administrative offices, and the new city council chambers/community theater. The facility offers many new high-tech spaces, including a digital media lab, creators and makers spaces, virtual reality stations, and tech-equipped study and meeting rooms. The 1.3 acre park includes a playground, a turf field, a native garden, and improved connectivity to Centennial Trail.
The Center also highlights the City’s commitment to sustainability. The facility is compliant with CalGreen Building Code, equivalent to LEED Silver certification. The project also includes EV charging stations, energy management systems, on-site stormwater management, a climate-controlling façade, and solar panels for electricity generation. The building is all-electric, including electric stoves in the catering and teaching kitchens. Landscaping includes approximately 100 new trees and native and other drought tolerant plants.
The Center is fully accessible for those of all abilities and accommodating of our senior population – a significant user of both Parks and Recreation and Library programs.
“The new Library | Parks & Recreation Center creates an amazing new space long awaited by our community: a state-of-the art facility for learning, creating, wellness, and gathering that they deserve. The Library | Parks & Recreation Center will serve as our community living room for many years to come, and I’m grateful for all that made this project a success, and for our residents who supported this project,” stated Mayor Flor Nicolas.
In addition to the revenue generated by the Measure W sales tax that was approved by voters in 2015, the new Library | Parks & Recreation Center was generously supported by hundreds of private donations to the South San Francisco Public Library Foundation, including major gifts from residents, Genentech, Amgen, South San Francisco Friends of the Library, Rotary Club of South San Francisco, and a State of California grant administered by the California State Library and a Congressionally-directed appropriation submitted by former Congresswoman Jackie Speier and Senator Alex Padilla.
Given the expected large attendance for the grand opening, please note the City has retained additional parking at the Municipal Services Building (33 Arroyo Drive), West Orange Library (840 West Orange Avenue), and San Mateo County Courthouse (1050 Mission Road). The South City Free Shuttle will also be operating. Both the Blue (clockwise) and Orange (western) routes will be operating from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for the special event.
More information about the grand opening celebration, including parking, transit, and a complete schedule of activities, can be found on the City’s website here.