Giant stone balls are in bloom in downtown San Francisco. Part of a new experiment to see whether heavy barriers can deter smash-and-grab thefts in the city’s toniest corridor of luxury shops, they’re taking over the sidewalks of Grant Avenue between Post and Geary.
Sixty stone “bollards,” each weighing a staggering 3,000 pounds, were installed through the month of June as part of a new pilot program overseen by the city Department of Public Works. Each one costs about $2,000 including installation, according to Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon, for a total estimated cost of $120,000 paid by the city.
The massive bollards, which are 42 inches in diameter, were installed after months of requests and input from local merchants, said Daniela Vasile, chief operating officer of the advocacy group Union Square Alliance. Vasile noted several high-profile incidents of cars ramming into stores in the last year: Dior and Louis Vuitton were hit in October 2024; Chanel was hit this March.
Patrolling cops near Louis Vuitton and Chanel intervened and prevented theft in those incidents, but Vasile said that concerns were raised about the string of high-end retailers nearby on Grant Avenue. In addition to Dior, the stretch features Bulgari, Giorgio Armani, Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce & Gabbana, and other luxury brands.
“The bollards and the placement were modeled similarly to what Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills has,” Vasile told me. “We assisted the city to [check] things like the sub-basements under the sidewalk, to make sure the bollards weren’t too heavy for the structure.”
Brainstorming to prevent cars from driving into storefronts began under former Mayor London Breed, with an initial idea to make property owners pay for bollards and install them through a revised permitting system. “There was no existing framework for something like this,” Vasile said.
However, the transition to Daniel Lurie’s administration stalled plans, at least until the Union Square Alliance lobbied the mayor and Public Works to consider moving forward on a pilot. The spring smash at Chanel helped raise the urgency to erect physical barriers to prevent cars from crossing the sidewalk into storefronts.
Public Works searched for a bollard that is “aesthetically pleasing” and “not too foreboding," Gordon said. The stone balls it selected do not have to be anchored into the sidewalk because of their 3,000-pound weight, allowing for some movement with the help of machinery. The city is still adjusting how far apart each bollard is set on the sidewalk.
It remains unclear whether additional bollards will be installed around downtown SF. In the meantime, Vasile claims that businesses who work with the Alliance are satisfied with the pilot program. The organization surveyed 15 merchants, and more than 90% responded that they believe the bollards will help safety and prevent theft, Vasile told me.
As I walked by the bollards on Grant Avenue, I tried to get opinions from employees at Dior, Brunello Cucinelli, and Cartier across the street, but all declined to comment because they are not authorized to speak to the media. While there, I ran into San Francisco Police Department Lt. Dean Hall, who was patrolling the block and greeting passersby.
Hall told me that, from a policing standpoint, the bollards are an obvious visual deterrent, something big to “make someone think twice.” He also acknowledged the potential optics of the bollard installation in a luxury corridor, noting that some may rightfully question why high-end retail gets the benefit, but not smaller businesses.
“I do get that. But if you get a car trying to come through your entrance in this district, we need to do something,” he said with a shrug. “Hopefully the bollards will help.”
