San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy just landed the largest cash gift ever given to a national park — putting it halfway towards the money it needs to transform the Presidio.

The largest cash gift in national parks history is intended to be the catalyst to create 10 acres of parkland connecting the heart of the Presidio to Crissy Field and the bay.

Ten years ago, the Garden Conservancy, whose mission is to preserve exceptional American gardens, in partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service, decided to restore the Alcatraz gardens after decades of neglect.

Abandoned after the prison closed in the early 1960s, the Gardens of Alcatraz are a study in survival.

Three finalists are vying for the coveted site of the current Sports Basement in the Presidio. The proposals being presented for discussion are the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum, the Presidio Exchange and the Bridge/Sustainability Institute. The Presidio is a national park site.