What's Going On at Linden and Pine? A Guide to Old Town's Park Under Construction, Plus South City's Holiday Calendar

If you've driven down Linden Avenue lately, you've seen the fencing that joins 616 and 700 Linden into one work site, a block of Pine Avenue with no traffic on it, and flaggers waving cars through one lane. Until November 20, crews are digging a water line across Linden. It doesn't look like much yet. Most of what has gone into the ground since summer, though, serves one purpose. The city is building Old Town a place to gather, with a plaza its public art plan describes as a stage for performances, markets, and other gatherings.

That matters more once you look at South City's 2026 holiday calendar. Nearly every event on it happens at the Civic Campus, the shoreline, or a school auditorium. This guide covers what's in the ground at Linden and Pine, what comes next, and where the season's events are being held until Old Town has its own plaza.

The traffic changes, in the order they happened

Pine Avenue didn't close all at once. The city phased the work so westbound traffic always had a way through, and the order explains the detours drivers on Linden see today.

1. May 8, 2026. The city held a groundbreaking at 700 Linden Avenue. Before that, city staff had taken a recommendation to award the construction contract to Azul Works, Inc. to the City Council's April 8 meeting.
2. Early June through August 9. Crews built a new road called the Pine Avenue Extension, with curbs, gutters, and pavement.
3. August 10. The extension opened to cars. On the same day, the section of Pine between the 616 and 700 Linden parcels closed to both cars and pedestrians. Westbound Pine traffic now detours to Linden by way of the extension and 7th Lane. The Linden Avenue sidewalk stays open.
4. By the city's October 9 update. About 100 feet of the old Pine roadway had been torn out to make room for the future plaza, and new stormwater and sewer lines were in the ground.
5. October 26 through November 20. Crews are installing a new water line under Linden Avenue that connects to the existing main near 703 Linden. Work runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with one lane closed at the Linden and Pine intersection and flaggers directing traffic. The city doesn't expect water service to nearby properties to be interrupted.

If your morning route runs down Linden, the 9 a.m. start helps. The flaggers come out after most of the school and work rush has gone by, and they're gone before the 3 p.m. pickups.

What's underground already

The October update says exactly where the new pipes went. The stormwater lines run under the area that will become the play area. The sewer line was added, in the city's words, to "accommodate a potential future restroom."

That word "potential" points to a decision the city hasn't made yet. The final design leaves room for either a prefabricated single-stall restroom or a portable unit. To test the portable option, the city partnered with Throne Inc. and placed a subscription-based smart restroom at Linden Avenue and 8th Lane in fall 2025. The unit had a flushing toilet, a running-water sink, climate control, and a baby changing station. Residents could get in by text message, app, or a free access card from the Grand Avenue Library.

A pilot summary in the City Council's records reports how the unit did over about five months:

• 96% uptime and an average cleanliness rating of 4 out of 5
• three instances of vandalism
• 37% of users came back
• 39 people filled out the voluntary survey posted on the unit between October 2025 and February 2026, and 77% of them said the Throne felt safer than a traditional public restroom

The summary doesn't say which option the city chose. The sewer line under the plaza means the park won't have to be dug up again if the answer is a permanent restroom.

What the park is being built for

The city says the park will provide "a brand new public space for South City residents to gather, connect, and play." The groundbreaking invitation called it "a new neighborhood park and cultural plaza in Old Town." The public art shows that plan most clearly.

The art call asked for mosaic work that could act as a backdrop for performances and community gatherings. The budget was capped at $168,000, and the city gave preference to artists with ties to South San Francisco or the Bay Area. The city received 34 submissions and picked four finalists, who showed their concepts at 700 Linden in October 2025. The Cultural Arts Commission made its recommendation on November 25, 2025, and the City Council approved the choice on December 10.

The selected concept is "Punto de Encuentro," or "Meeting Point," by mosaic artist J. Muzacz. The city says it was approved because of "overwhelming consensus by the community via survey results." It has three parts:

The city's own description of the two plaza pieces says they create "a dynamic, colorful stage for performances, markets, and other gatherings." The plaza sits on what used to be Pine Avenue, which is why the street had to close.

Neighbors helped design the playground too. In the city's play survey, 87% of responses came from Old Town residents. The design they favored, Option B, includes a Multi-Kid Spinner, Group Swing, Tot Slide, natural edges, and a climbing structure. The most popular individual pieces were the Spiral Net, Double Slide, and Monkey Bars.

Over the coming months, crews will pour foundations for the playground structure, light poles, outdoor fitness equipment, and the public art. The city projects that the park will open in early 2027.

How a former auto shop became a park

From the 1940s until the early 2000s, Volonte Automotive ran a repair shop at 616 Linden. According to the city's project page, the shop's underground tanks were removed in 1993. Contaminated soil was hauled away between 1993 and 2001, and San Mateo County closed the case in 2001. The city says June 2023 soil testing confirmed the property is safe for a park. The project page links the environmental summary report in English and Spanish for anyone who wants the full record.

The design and construction budget is $5.5 million. It's paid for with state and federal grants and South San Francisco's Park Development and Acquisition Fee Funds.

This season's calendar, and where it takes place

Here are South City's dated city events from now through December 2026. Look at the location column.

Four of the eight events are at the Civic Campus. Only one, Santa Comes to Town at City Hall, is on Grand Avenue, a few blocks from the construction fencing. The city's Santa Comes to Town page says to check back for updates, so look again before December 5.

Two smaller events fill out November at the same Civic Campus building: a book discussion on November 9 at 6 p.m. to close the "Between Two Worlds" program, and an Empathetic Communication Workshop on November 19 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Changes on Grand Avenue

The storefronts along Grand have been changing this year too. Shabu Shack at 200 Grand Avenue announced it would close permanently on June 22, 2026, as KRON4 reported at the time.

A few doors away, at 231 Grand, Ling Nam is getting ready to come back. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on July 4 that the Daly City bakery, which has served Filipino-Chinese comfort food since the 1990s, is expanding to South San Francisco and Union City. The space was still under construction at the time, with no firm opening date. The bakery's own website still lists the South San Francisco location as coming soon.

For updates on the park itself, the city posts construction notices in English and Spanish on its Linden Park project page. The next update should cover the foundation work that comes after the water line.

If you own a home in Old Town and want to understand how a new park and plaza on your block could shape your long-term plans, NEXTGEN Properties can help you sort out the timeline and what it means for your property. Book a complimentary home strategy session, available in English, Mandarin, or Cantonese.