SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink is gearing up for its 18th season in San Francisco’s Union Square, bringing a winter wonderland to the heart of the city.
“We’re really excited,” said Robert Keith, director of rink operations. “We started building the rink about eight days ago. People kept coming in and saying, ‘Wow, there’s the cooler on Post Street.’ They said, ‘Oh my God, the ice rink is back, it’s back!'”
People from near and far arrived for opening night on Wednesday, ready to hit the ice.
“It’s very special,” said Eric Madors, who lives in Daly City. “Things are always exciting at this time anyway. But doing it on the first day makes it even more magical, I feel like it.”
In celebration, local and state leaders acknowledged that this area has faced many challenges in recent years with store closures during the pandemic and smash-and-grabs.
“Union Square has struggled in the last five years, but it’s coming back,” said California Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). “It’s back – new stores are coming.”
Marissa Rodriguez, CEO of the Union Square Alliance, said she expects this holiday season to bring greater economic growth than the last.
“We want to thank those who contributed to helping San Francisco achieve its greatest comeback ever,” Rodriguez said. “We’re hearing a lot of good news — good news from Macy’s, good news from restaurants. Look, Steph Curry wants to invest in Union Square, and that tells us that’s the case. The pivotal point here.”
The good news from Macy’s coming this week is the announcement that its flagship store will remain in Union Square. With the help of new investment partners, the store is reimagining the kind of ways in which it can share its prime real estate.
“There’s a lot of space there, and there’s room for potential housing,” Rodriguez added. “Maybe a nice apartment complex could be built in space.”
San Francisco District 3 Supervisor Danny Sutter said while this holiday looks bright, there is more work to be done.
“There are still a lot of job openings, and we still see international tourism a little weak,” Superintendent Sutter said. “We have a lot of work to do. But compare it to where we were a year ago – I think when people come here for the holidays, they will feel and see that.”
The tree in Union Square will be officially lit on Tuesday, November 11.
The ice rink is open until Monday, January 19th.