Flower garden slated for massive renovation

SAN FRANCISCO —

A renowned flowering garden in eastern Golden Gate Park will close for five months to make $1.5 million worth of improvements.

The John McLaren Rhododendron Dell is home to an array of the lush, flowering plants, along with a statue of John McLaren, who was instrumental in shaping Golden Gate Park more than a century ago.

Upgrades to access, improvements to irrigation and planting of additional flowers are long overdue, Project Manager Rick Thall said. If approved by the Recreation and Park Commission today, the garden could close for the work by June.

"There’s years of deterioration," Thall said. "It used to be a flush rhododendron garden. We’re trying to re-establish the plant there."

Thall said workers will try to salvage rhododendrons already in the grove, but flowers more accustomed to sunlight will also be planted.

The project will include demolition, clearing and grading of the site, and upgrades will create better access for disabled people, according to a Rec and Park staff report.

The entire project is estimated to cost $2.4 million, department documents said, with the majority of funds coming from Proposition 40. Roughly $200,000 is from the open-space fund.

This project is expected to be awarded to NCCI Inc., which came out ahead of eight other bids received.

Though the summer closure would come at a time when visitors flock to Golden Gate Park, Thall said overall use of the rhododendron garden is down.

"We’d need to impact it at some point," he said. "The sooner we can close it, the sooner we can revitalize the garden."