The inevitable flight of the 49ers from their longtime home at Candlestick Park is expected to leave a gaping hole in the City’s parks budget. The team pays $3.4 million in rent each year.
The loss of the team’s revenue is just one piece of the shortfall, as the 2014-15 budget predicts a funding gap of nearly $7 million.
To keep the public space open, the City has pursued a policy of privatizing certain operations and increasing access for vendors. But those policies have incited some protest from locals who claim that the city is privatizing and monetizing a public space too much.
It will remain to be seen whether these efforts are enough to stave off closures and cuts for the Parks.
Read the full article at the San Francisco Examiner.