Alamo Square Park, SF Selfies Magnet, Set To Reopen Wednesday

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Finishes touches are going in at Alamo Square Park in San Francisco, as it gets set for a grand reopening on Wednesday, May 24.

"Alamo Square is one of the city's historic treasures, it's been around since the mid-1850s, when it was originally a watering hole for horses on the very long trip from Mission Dolores all the way to the Presidio," Phil Ginsburg, general manager of San Francisco's Recreation and Park Department, told KCBS Radio.

It's also ground zero for tourist selfies, thanks to a line of lovingly-preserved Victorian mansions known as the Painted Ladies, across Steiner Street on the park's east side.

The park has been under renovation for the past year -- a $5.3 million makeover. Ginsburg said that one of the main goals was to make the park more water efficient.

Alamo Square Park is among the biggest water-wasting parks in the city.

The renovation included replacing 30-year-old irrigation lines and 70-year-old quick couplers. Ginsburg says the improvements will help save 2.5 million gallons of water per year at the park.

The Recreation and Park Department has long been one of the biggest water consumers in San Francisco but Ginsburg says they have reduced consumption by 43 percent since 2016.

Ginsburg added that visitors to Alamo Square will see dozens of new trees, resurfaced tennis courts and improved accessibility.