Centennial Plaza opens in San Bruno

“It’s good for our downtown. I take care of all the planters downtown, so, to me, it’s a big step forward and good recognition for all the businesses,” Nancy Foreman, a 37-year resident of San Bruno who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, said. 

The project, which was approved by the City Council in February, cost around $1.4 million to complete and was made possible with a $500,000 grant from the San Bruno Community Foundation and $150,000 from Measure K funds. 

Councilmember Tom Hamilton, a longtime proponent of the project, reflected on the plaza’s transition from empty lot to community space. 

“Before, there was a fence around this whole thing and a sign right there that said keep out, right in the middle of our downtown. It’s ridiculous,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons that I ran, so it really feels good to turn this around.” 

In a speech to the community, Mayor Rico Medina also spoke to the history of the lot, which has been owned by the city since it was the old Wells Fargo building. 

“What has transformed here, from then to now, is now, what you see before you,” he said. “This offers an opportunity for downtown, for this city, to meet.” 

Resident Kristina Perez also spoke highly of the transformation. It’s a good use of city funds, she said. 

“I do believe we need good facilities to have these kinds of things we’ve been talking about — doing street fairs and other things downtown [like] farmers’ markets, and this can be your anchor,” she said. “We need more public spaces that people utilize.”

The San Bruno Community Foundation, which was established to distribute restitution money from the deadly Pacific Gas and Electric pipeline explosion, invested in the project because it saw it as an investment in the community, Jim Ruane, its board vice president and former San Bruno mayor, said. 

“This new plaza provides a welcoming environment for community members seeking to shop, dine and gather along San Mateo Avenue,” he said. “Centennial Plaza honors the Crestmoor neighborhood and the spirit of community and resilience that defines San Bruno.”