Former San Francisco gun club becomes public recreation space after cleanup
San Francisco officials are seeking private partners to redevelop a 9.5-acre former shooting range into a public park. The site, which was contaminated by lead and debris, has undergone a multi-year environmental cleanup and is now ready for public use.
Why it matters
This project represents a successful urban land reclamation effort, turning a toxic industrial site into a community asset.
San Francisco city officials have opened a search for private partners to redevelop a 9.5-acre lakeside property that was used as a private shooting range for more than 80 years. The move marks the final stage of a major environmental transformation along the western shore of Lake Merced. The property at 520 John Muir Drive was home to the Pacific Rod and Gun Club from 1934 until it permanently closed in 2015. After years of environmental cleanup, the city is now seeking proposals to turn the site into a public park and recreation centre.Decades of shooting leave toxic legacyThe Pacific Rod and Gun Club opened on the shores of Lake Merced in 1934, with skeet, trap and rifle ranges for local shooters.
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