With Harrington Park Fenced Until Early 2027, Downtown San Carlos Gathers on Laurel Street

Where does downtown San Carlos gather while the park at its center is a construction site? Harrington Park, at 753 Laurel Street between Cherry and Olive, closed for construction on April 6, 2026. The city's Downtown Revitalization page was last updated in October and still gives "early 2027" for completion.

That leaves one more holiday season with the park behind fencing. Over those seven months the city has spread downtown gatherings across the street around the park: Adirondack chairs on Laurel, events at Wheeler Plaza, a farmers' market laid out differently, and a holiday stage on Cherry Street. The rest of 2026 runs on that setup, and it gives an early look at how the finished park and street are meant to work together.

What is happening at 753 Laurel

The Harrington Park Refresh is the first phase of the city's Downtown Streetscape Master Plan. According to the city's Harrington Park FAQ, that plan came out of a three-year planning process in which residents asked for more places to gather. Azul Works holds the construction contract, which was awarded at $5.2 million against an engineer's estimate of $5 million. The city also approved a construction contingency of up to $1 million, and the wider project budget carries about $1 million more for construction management, outreach and design work during construction.

The city has posted progress on its Downtown Revitalization blog:

• May 8: groundbreaking celebration for the Refresh.
• May 22: most of the storm drain work across Laurel Street was finished, and the Laurel sidewalk reopened.
• June 30: Silva Cells were installed under the park. These underground structures give tree roots room to grow and filter stormwater, so the trees planted above them have space to get larger.
• July through September: a series of work dates in Cowgill Alley, the alley north of the 700 block of Laurel.
• October 26: overnight PG&E utility work, with nearby businesses notified in advance.

Before construction, some of the park's plantings were moved to other parks. Two crepe myrtles and two camellia bushes went to Burton Park, and five more camellias went to the City Hall dog park. The park's memorial bricks were removed and stored. The city says all of them will go back into the new design, along with space for additional bricks.

The street has taken over the park's job

The city's downtown activation series, Life on Laurel, started with a Downtown Wine Walk on February 13, before the park closed. Its early events were games on Laurel "across from Harrington Park." Once the fencing went up, events moved to the sidewalk and to Wheeler Plaza. A Silent Disco ran in the Wheeler Parking Plaza in April. In June, the city's World Cup watch party for USA vs. Paraguay drew about 500 fans to Wheeler Plaza. The city asked attendees to bring takeout from downtown restaurants.

Smaller things moved too, and all of them now sit out on the street:

1. Balancing Act, the juggling blue man statue, now stands at the northern end of the 700 block of Laurel, near Cherry Street.
2. Adirondack chairs were added on Laurel after Hometown Days in May, and more arrived in August.
3. Two information boards about the project went up on the 700 block of Laurel the week of September 28. One is in the raised planter near Diddams and the other is near U.S. Bank.
4. The Sunday farmers' market moved its booths back from the curb and expanded into the Wheeler Plaza parking lot. That change let Cherry Street reopen to traffic and parking. The market had used a curbside "promenade" layout since 2021, and the city made the change with the Urban Village Farmers' Market Association and fire officials after hearing from downtown businesses.

The rest of 2026 on the downtown calendar

The city lists two downtown events between publication and the new year, plus the weekly market. Both events use Laurel Street rather than the park.

Diwali Downtown has dance and music performances, crafts, henna, storytime and food. Night of Holiday Lights is free. Emcees Lori & RJ start at 5 p.m., Wild Child plays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the lineup also includes The Tide Note Singers, led by Emily Bender, and Broadway Babies & Kids. The city also lists arts and crafts, hot chocolate, beer and wine sales, a holiday show and snow. The 2025 event used the same Laurel footprint with the main stage on Cherry, so it is a familiar route. This year, the north end of the event stops at Cherry Street, the same corner where the 700 block and the fenced park begin.

The Urban Village Farmers' Market Association runs the market every Sunday all year, rain or shine. That covers the Sundays right after both events, November 15 and December 6.

The businesses on the park's edge

The restaurants and bars next to the fencing have been open all along, and the city has been sending people their way. Construction vehicles use Cowgill Alley, entering and leaving from Cherry and Olive streets. The city says customer access to Laurel Street storefronts is not affected, and contractors park in the SamTrans garage so the alley stays clear. The four short-term parking spaces behind the park will become a drop-off and loading zone.

In March, before construction began, Faith & Spirits, Mama Coco Cocina, Town, Spasso and Stamp Bar & Grill met with staff and Mayor Venkatesh at a coffee chat in the park. They talked about employee parking, parking enforcement and wayfinding signs in the garages. In June, the Adult Community Center's Lunch Bunch, run with the Friends of the San Carlos Adult Community Center, ate at Mama Coco's, right next to the construction. On October 8, about 48 business owners, property owners and residents came to a merchants' meeting at West Park Bistro for a construction update. The meeting page lists the questions raised there. Business owners raised parking and storefront access during future construction. They also asked when work on the 700 block of Laurel would start.

What the park adds, and what comes after it

According to the city FAQ, the finished park will have a multi-purpose plaza for events, public seating, a rain garden and tree grove for shade, and the returned memorial bricks. A new building will hold storage for city programs and two all-gender public restrooms. One restroom will be ADA accessible with a universal changing station. The city council approved removing 10 trees. Eight new trees are going into the park and two onto Laurel Street, and the design leaves room for murals and sculptural play elements.

The FAQ describes the plaza as space for events and gatherings, which downtown has done without since April. The 700 block of Laurel is the next phase of construction, and the city has not set a timeline for it.

An entertainment zone may follow. The San Mateo Daily Journal reported that the city council unanimously supported working toward one, likely centered downtown, and that an ordinance may come back in early 2027. Under such a zone, patrons could drink alcohol bought from eligible businesses in set public areas during set hours or events. The Daily Journal also reported that city staff asked Redwood City and Mountain View how their zones have worked. Assistant City Manager Nil Blackburn told the paper that success "depends largely and almost exclusively on the events and activities that it's tied to." For now, the city's downtown calendar runs on Laurel Street with Life on Laurel, Diwali Downtown, Night of Holiday Lights and the Sunday market.

At Moussavian Real Estate, we follow city projects like the Harrington Park Refresh and the planned 700 block work because they change how downtown blocks are used and what nearby homes are worth. If you own near Laurel Street and want to know where your home stands as the work continues, request an Instant Home Valuation and we will walk you through the numbers.