By Momo Chang. Momo Chang, a Bay Area freelance journalist.
Intro to a August 2026 article in the San Francisco Chronicle:
When Gilbert Gong was a child, he spent many afternoons playing at Lincoln Square in Chinatown after going to Chinese school.
Now, more than 50 years later, Gong, who grew up to become the Lincoln Recreation Center’s director, stands in front of the aging building, reflecting on the past, with a hopeful eye toward the future.
The rec center, nearly 50 years old, will soon be torn down and rebuilt as a two-story facility nearly triple its current size. It will include classrooms for afterschool and summer programs, indoor basketball courts, and lots more.
And innovatively, the recreation center will also serve as a “resilience hub” — a place where neighbors can go during climate emergencies such as wildfires, power shutoffs, and earthquakes. It will be outfitted with solar panels, battery storage, refrigerators for neighbors to keep their medication, and other features.
The city broke ground last week on the new rec center and hub — which is funded through a mix of local, state, and federal funds and private contributions — but it took decades of advocacy from community organizations, residents, and volunteers to see the new vision become a reality.
“For me, it’s a full circle,” Gong told Oaklandside just after the groundbreaking ceremonies on July 30. “The park cared for me and took care of me as a child, and I’m trying to reciprocate that here as best as possible for as many people as possible.”