Local
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky Pledges $100 Million to San Francisco Parks
Chesky's $100 million donation, the largest single individual gift to the city's parks, will complete five projects including Embarcadero Plaza and Garfield Square, with $39 million released immediately. Mayor Daniel Lurie says the gift shows the city is 'coming back.'
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has pledged $100 million to San Francisco's public parks, the largest single individual donation the city has received for its park system, with $39 million going immediately toward completing several existing improvement projects.
The funds will complete five park projects in the near term: the renovation of Embarcadero Plaza, upgrades at Garfield Square Park and Recreation Center in the Mission District, work on India Basin Waterfront Park, renovations at Jackson Playground in Potrero Hill, and accelerated creation of Rachele Sullivan Park, planned for a half-acre site on 11th Street in SoMa.
Chesky, whose company is now valued at more than $100 billion and whose personal fortune Forbes pegs at $13 billion, said his success is tied to the city.
"A lot of my success I feel like I could attribute to the magic that is San Franciscoâthe community, the incredible people here," Chesky said in a statement. "I love this city and I, for a long time, have wanted to give back, and it was really a matter of how to give back."
He encouraged other wealthy residents to follow suit. "If others are interested in giving gifts to the city or working with Mayor Lurie, I would encourage it," he said. "I feel really confident about how this money is going to be utilized. I think they have an incredible team."
Mayor Daniel Lurie said the donation would help in "expanding access to recreation, and making our parks even better for the families who use them." He added: "To every leader who sees what Brian has done today: Our city is coming back, and you also have an opportunity not to watch from the sidelines but to be part of it."
The gift is the latest example of Lurie drawing on his private-sector and philanthropic connections to advance major civic projects. Billionaire Michael Moritz's Crankstart Foundation is contributing $10 million to the Embarcadero Plaza project, and a coalition of business leaders including billionaire Chris Larsen recently put up $500,000 to help launch a new Market Street Arts & Theater District.
The reliance on private money raises familiar questions for park advocates about whether philanthropy can substitute for stable public funding, but city officials say the infusion will let long-delayed projects move forward and expand recreation options for residents across neighborhoods, from the Mission and Potrero Hill to SoMa and the waterfront.