Costantini Team | Bay Area, CA Real Estate Experts

Harrington Park, at 753 Laurel Street between Cherry and Olive, closed for construction on April 6, and protective fencing now surrounds the project area. In late September the City put up two informational boards on the 700 block. One is in the raised planter near Diddams and the other is near U.S. Bank. Both show a rendering of the finished park and a "Together We Break Ground" message. The City still gives the same finish date it gave in March, completion "anticipated in early 2027."

That leaves downtown without its square for a full holiday season. In the meantime, the City has been holding downtown events in the Wheeler Plaza parking lot and on the Laurel Street sidewalk. The Downtown Revitalization Blog has logged each step, and together the entries show a downtown handing the park's job to whatever open space it had left.

Wheeler Plaza Took Over the Square's Work

On June 12, about 500 people gathered at Wheeler Plaza to watch the USA's World Cup opener against Paraguay. The City asked them to bring takeout from downtown restaurants. The setup came back for the USA vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina match, again with takeout from downtown restaurants and the game on screen in the lot. In April it was a silent disco. Neighbors picked up headphones and danced in the Wheeler Parking Plaza in the rain. Earth Day on April 19 used Wheeler Plaza and Laurel Street together.

The biggest change was to the San Carlos Farmers' Market. Since 2021 it had used a curbside "promenade" layout. This spring the City worked with the Urban Village Farmers' Market Association and fire officials to move booths away from the curbs, so shoppers could see the storefronts again. Vendors spread into the Wheeler Plaza lot, and Cherry Street reopened to traffic and parking. The market also added seating, umbrellas and games.

All of this falls under one City program, Life on Laurel. It started with a Downtown Wine Walk on February 13, before construction began. The City described its goal as giving people new ways to spend evenings downtown, with events "planned all fall and winter."

The Sidewalk Got Furniture

The City added seating on the sidewalk too. Adirondack chairs went onto Laurel Street after this year's Hometown Days, pitched as a place to eat takeout or rest between shops. More arrived in August. On Friday nights the 700 block has hosted cornhole, checkers, Connect 4 and Jenga. The first round was set up on Laurel across from the fenced park, and another followed on August 14.

Balancing Act, the blue man statue, also moved. Since early May it has stood near Laurel and Cherry.

The street has kept working through the construction. When a storm drain trench crossed Laurel in May, the Harrington Park construction crew covered it with steel plates for the May 16–17 weekend so the Hometown Days parade could pass. By May 22 the sidewalk had reopened.

The Businesses on the Fence Line

The businesses closest to the project are the ones that need this to work. The City identified Mama Coco's and Faith & Spirits as directly next to Harrington Park. At a March coffee chat in the park, Mayor Venkatesh and City staff met with owners from Faith & Spirits, Mama Coco Cocina, Town, Spasso and Stamp Bar & Grill. They talked about employee parking, parking enforcement, signs in the parking garages and how to include businesses in downtown events. Staff also called the owner of Bow Wow Meow before work started.

Some of the plan is designed to keep construction out of the way. Construction vehicles use the alley behind Laurel and come in and out from Cherry and Olive. Contractors park their own cars in the SamTrans garage, equipment is stored off-site, and storefronts on Laurel stay open the whole time. In June, the Lunch Bunch program run with the Friends of the San Carlos Adult Community Center chose Mama Coco's for its monthly outing, and the City used the visit to point out that the restaurant is open right next to the work.

The most recent update came on October 8. About 50 downtown business and property owners came to an 8 a.m. listening session at West Park Bistro for a construction update.

The Fall Calendar Runs Down the Street

Every remaining event on the 2026 downtown calendar takes place on Laurel Street, not in the park. The San Carlos Art & Wine Faire already ran October 10 and 11 at San Carlos Avenue and Laurel. Here is what's next:

Goblin Walk, Friday, October 30, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Children 7 and under, with an adult, trick-or-treat along Laurel Street from San Carlos Avenue to Arroyo Avenue. Candy stops are the businesses showing an official Goblin Walk sign, and the first 600 children get a free bag. Palo Alto Online included it in its 2026 roundup of free Halloween events.
Diwali Downtown, Saturday, November 14. The City lists it among its winter events.
Night of Holiday Lights, Friday, December 4, 5 to 8:30 p.m. It covers Laurel Street from San Carlos Avenue to Cherry Street, with the main stage on Cherry. This year is its 16th, according to San Carlos Life.

The holiday stage sits on Cherry, a short distance from the fenced park.

What Comes Out From Behind the Fence

The park that reopens is the first part of a larger plan. When the City Council awarded the project to Azul Works, Inc. in February, it listed six pieces: new paving, new trees and landscaping, new seating, a multi-purpose building with restrooms and storage, a mass-timber pavilion attached to that building, and a new staging area beside the alley. The building will have two all-gender public restrooms. One is ADA-accessible and has a universal changing station. The City's project FAQ, last updated in September 2026, puts the construction contract at $5.2 million.

Much of the work is underground. In June, crews put Silva Cells under the park. These structures give tree roots room to grow and filter stormwater before it runs off. Every memorial brick plaque was removed, stored and is scheduled to go back in, and the new layout leaves room for more. Some of the old plants were moved elsewhere. Two crepe myrtles now grow near the Burton Park playground, two camellias are by the Burton Park field and five more are at the City Hall dog park.

One change affects everyday errands. Four public parking spaces behind the park are being turned into a drop-off and loading zone.

The rest of the 700 block comes later. In June 2025, San Carlos Life reported that the City Council voted 3-2 to build the park first instead of waiting to do the whole block in one project starting in 2027. That report described the two phases this way:

	Phase 1A, Harrington Park	Phase 1B, 700 Block of Laurel
Status	Under construction now, anticipated finish early 2027	Reported in June 2025 as expected after 2027
Core pieces	Restroom and storage building, trees, plants, benches	Pavilion stage, water fountain, native landscaping, rain gardens
Street features	Drop-off and loading zone off the alley	Entry plazas at Cherry and Olive, bike racks, oversized chess board, digital kiosk
Lighting	Lights listed among park amenities	String lights and under-bench lighting

That report put the "pavilion stage" in the later phase. The City's February 2026 award lists a mass-timber pavilion attached to the new building as part of the current contract. These may be two separate structures, and the City's project page is the place to check as the park takes shape. According to that 2025 report, the pavilion stage, the fountain and the full streetscape are not part of the early 2027 reopening.

Construction runs Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The City takes questions at [email protected] and (650) 802-4310.

Our team keeps up with how downtown projects like Harrington Park change the streets around them, and we follow these details closely. If you're thinking about what a refreshed downtown could mean for a home a few blocks from Laurel, The Costantini Team would be glad to talk it through. Schedule a Consultation, and we'll start with the walk to Laurel Street.