Piers 30–32 redevelopment

Piers 30–32 redevelopment
Name	Piers 30–32 redevelopment
Location	San Francisco, California, United States
Coordinates	37.7925, -122.3924
Owner	Port of San Francisco
Status	Planned / Under review
Architect	Various
Developer	Port of San Francisco; private partners
Start date	21st century proposals

Piers 30–32 redevelopment

The Piers 30–32 redevelopment refers to a long-running initiative to reimagine the waterfront parcels at Embarcadero (San Francisco), adjacent to South Beach, San Francisco, Mission Creek (San Francisco), and the San Francisco Bay shoreline. The project has intersected with policy debates involving the Port of San Francisco, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Mayor London Breed, and civic organizations including the Preservation Action Council of San Francisco and the San Francisco Planning Department.

Background and History

The site occupies the southeastern edge of the Ferry Building precinct near historic piers associated with the California Gold Rush, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, and the Embarcadero Freeway removal after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Piers 30–32 replaced early 20th-century maritime facilities built during the era of the United States Shipping Board and the Port of San Francisco expansion. The parcels have been shaped by policies from the San Francisco Charter, regulatory oversight by the California Coastal Commission, and planning frameworks such as the San Francisco Waterfront Plan and the Embarcadero Historic District designation. Influential figures and entities including Willie L. Brown Jr., Dianne Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency have influenced waterfront priorities.

Redevelopment Proposals and Plans

Over decades, multiple proposals by developers and designers—ranging from the McCormack Baron Salazar model to concepts from architects associated with SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill), Herzog & de Meuron, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and Foster + Partners—have been evaluated. Proposals have included mixed-use combinations referencing precedents like Piers 39, Pier 70 (San Francisco), and the Canal District (San Rafael). Funding strategies cited municipal bonds, private equity from firms similar to Brookfield Asset Management and The Related Companies, and public–private partnership models akin to Public Utilities Commission financing and TIF-style instruments. Competing visions engaged stakeholders such as Save the Bay, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and universities including San Francisco State University and University of California, San Francisco.

Environmental and Regulatory Review

The project has undergone environmental review processes under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and coastal permitting under the California Coastal Act. Agencies including the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been involved because of issues related to sea level rise, subsidence, seismic risk from the San Andreas Fault and Hayward Fault, and habitat impacts to species protected under the Endangered Species Act and state endangered species lists. Environmental impact reports have considered flood protection strategies promoted by Bay Conservation and Development Commission guidance and climate adaptation principles advanced by the California Natural Resources Agency and Governor Jerry Brown's climate initiatives.

Community Response and Stakeholder Engagement

Community groups such as Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee, South Beach Waterfront Neighborhood Association, Friends of the Urban Forest, and labor organizations like International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Building and Construction Trades Council of San Francisco have engaged in public hearings convened by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the Port Commission of the City and County of San Francisco. Civic responses referenced precedents from disputes over Oracle Park development, debates around Transbay Transit Center, and activism similar to Occupy San Francisco. Cultural institutions including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Exploratorium, and Asian Art Museum have weighed in on programming and public access priorities.

Design, Architecture, and Public Access

Design discussions invoked best practices from waterfront projects like The High Line, Battery Park City, and HafenCity. Architectural goals mentioned adaptive reuse, flood-resilient building types, and materials consistent with Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties as applied to the Embarcadero Historic District. Public access commitments referenced the Public Trust Doctrine, pedestrian and bicycle connections to Caltrain, Muni (San Francisco Municipal Railway), BART, and ferry services at the Ferry Building; inclusion of cultural space for organizations akin to Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, performance venues like American Conservatory Theater, and maritime interpretation aligned with the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Landscape strategies cited firms and frameworks influenced by James Corner Field Operations and Landscape Architecture Magazine case studies.

Construction, Phasing, and Timeline

Phasing scenarios have been tied to financing availability, permitting timelines, and resilience upgrades modeled on US Army Corps of Engineers guidance and state adaptation plans endorsed during the administrations of Governor Gavin Newsom and Governor Jerry Brown. Construction sequencing would coordinate utility relocation with PG&E, transit integration with Caltrain and Muni, and staging in coordination with the Port of San Francisco capital program. Timelines referenced multi-year horizons comparable to the Transbay Transit Center and Pier 70 (San Francisco) redevelopment.

Economic Impact and Future Use

Economic assessments have projected uses including cultural venues, maritime heritage exhibits like those at Aquatic Park Historic District, flexible commercial space for technology firms similar to those in South of Market, San Francisco, hospitality comparable to properties run by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts or Hilton Worldwide, and public open space programming akin to Crissy Field. Analyses by consultants and institutions such as Urban Land Institute, Brookings Institution, and McKinsey & Company have examined job creation, tourism benefits tied to Convention and Visitors Bureau activity, and impacts on tax revenues overseen by the San Francisco Treasurer. Long-term stewardship models considered parallels with Port of Seattle and Port of Portland management.

Category:San Francisco Bay Area redevelopment projects Category:Piers in San Francisco Category:Urban planning in San Francisco