A Town Square For Downtown SF
Celebrating SF Arts, Food and Culture
Friends of Embarcadero Bricks formed in early 2022 to advocate for renovating and expanding Embarcadero Plaza.
The Bricks is a project to renew downtown San Francisco, by creating a vibrant town square at Embarcadero Plaza, celebrating the Bay Area’s unique arts, food and culture.
The Bricks is a unique cultural destination that will:
- Rekindle energy in downtown San Francisco and the waterfront
- Help employers draw workers back to offices
- Reinforce San Francisco as the City that (Still) Knows How
- Entertain residents and attract visitors from the Bay Area and beyond
- Provide a platform to showcase artists and community groups
Our Story
San Francisco’s economic core has seen plummeting activity since the pandemic. A group of residents set out to revitalize downtown modelled on successful community town squares in SF neighborhoods and Europe.
Embarcadero Bricks is the brainchild of Chris Keene, the community leader behind Noe Valley Town Square, partnered with Eric Eislund, the general manager of Club Fugazi and producer of Dear SF. Their vision is to create a public meeting spot that draws residents, workers and tourists back downtown.
Our vision is to make the Bricks San Francisco’s Town Square—the City’s most visited and beloved meeting spot. “Let’s meet at the Bricks” will be the go-to call when San Francisco workers, residents and visitors want to get together in a highly social setting, surrounded by inspirational art and unique experiences.
Meet The Team
Chris Keene, Co-Founder
Chris founded Friends of Embarcadero Bricks in 2022 to help revitalize downtown San Francisco in the wake of the pandemic. His goal was to replicate the community impact and success of Noe Valley Town Square, which he also founded.
Working in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, Chris secured a $400,000 grant in 2024 to launch the Summer Bricks project. The initiative demonstrated the community benefits of activating Embarcadero Plaza.
Chris also founded Friends of Slow Sanchez, which has grown into San Francisco’s most successful neighborhood slow street initiative.
Eric Eislund, Co-Founder
Co-Producer, Club Fugazi Experiences, producer of Dear SF
Marcus Guillard
Placemaking, Founder LMNL Studio
Kevin Bartram
Founder, Sponsorship Accelerator
Ryan McNeil
Director, Special Projects, Advance SF. Senior VP Enterprise Payments, Bank of America.
Our Partners
