Treasure Island redevelopment
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| Treasure Island redevelopment | |
|---|---|
| Name | Treasure Island redevelopment |
| Location | San Francisco Bay, California, United States |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Developer | Treasure Island Community Development LLC; public agencies include San Francisco Board of Supervisors, San Francisco International Airport (historical owner), City and County of San Francisco |
| Start date | 2009 (planning) |
| Projected completion | phased through 2030s |
Treasure Island redevelopment is a multi-decade urban renewal program to transform the former Naval Station Treasure Island and adjacent Yerba Buena Island into mixed-use neighborhoods with housing, parks, infrastructure, and commercial space. The project involves public agencies such as the San Francisco Planning Department, private firms including Wilson Meany Sullivan and Tishman Speyer (past proposers), environmental regulators like the California Environmental Protection Agency and United States Environmental Protection Agency, and regional planning bodies including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments. It has prompted litigation involving parties such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and civic groups including the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association.
Background and history
Treasure Island is an artificial island created for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition and later deeded to the United States Navy as Naval Station Treasure Island during World War II. Postwar uses included Naval Training Center activities and Cold War-era operations, with decommissioning following the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations. Ownership transferred to the City and County of San Francisco under agreements administered by the Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) and later the Treasure Island Community Development partnership; historical contamination issues involve agencies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers and California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Key historical actors and events tied to the island include the Pan American World Airways seaplane era, the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District planning dialogues, and civic milestones like ballot measures and decisions by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Redevelopment plan and objectives
The master plan authored and revised with input from firms such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and local planners aims to create sustainable neighborhoods with thousands of housing units, significant affordable housing quotas enforced by the Mayor of San Francisco and San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and public open spaces consistent with policies from the California Coastal Commission and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Objectives reference targets from the San Francisco General Plan and the Association of Bay Area Governments Plan Bay Area for housing density, resiliency, and transit-oriented development aligned with initiatives led by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Plan Bay Area 2040. Funding and partnership frameworks involve entities such as California State Treasurer, private developers including Wilson Meany, and lenders like the Federal Housing Finance Agency-regulated agencies.
Environmental remediation and sea level rise mitigation
Remediation efforts have been governed by consent orders with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Public Health, and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Identified contaminants include asbestos, heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, and radiological materials linked to World War II-era infrastructure; cleanup work has involved contractors and oversight from the United States Geological Survey and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for site assessments. Sea level rise planning draws on science from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and regional sea level guidance produced by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and the Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network. Proposed interventions include engineered seawalls, elevated landforms, and tidal wetlands restoration coordinated with the San Francisco Estuary Institute and the California Coastal Conservancy to increase resilience against storm surge and projected 21st-century inundation scenarios.
Design, land use, and infrastructure
Design principles emphasize mixed-use zoning consistent with the San Francisco Planning Code and sustainable building standards informed by the United States Green Building Council and LEED certification goals. Land use plans allocate parcels for residential towers, mid-rise housing, commercial corridors, schools operated potentially in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District, public parks influenced by landscape architects who reference precedent projects like the Golden Gate Park rehabilitation. Infrastructure upgrades include potable water systems coordinated with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, wastewater tie-ins to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission facilities, stormwater management following Clean Water Act requirements, and energy systems exploring partnerships with Pacific Gas and Electric Company and regional microgrid pilots advocated by the California Energy Commission.
Transportation and connectivity
Transportation planning engages multimodal connections to San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge approaches, ferry service coordinated with the San Francisco Bay Ferry, bicycle and pedestrian networks tied to Embarcadero promenades, and bus rapid transit options integrated with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and Golden Gate Transit regional services. Proposals have considered light rail or streetcar extensions discussed with the Bay Area Rapid Transit District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to meet transit-oriented development objectives, while maritime access leverages proximity to the Port of San Francisco and regional ferry terminals. Parking ratios and shared mobility strategies reference policy instruments from the San Francisco Planning Department and climate plans from the California Air Resources Board.
Community engagement, governance, and funding
Public engagement processes have been organized through Treasure Island Development Authority, community advisory committees, and nonprofit stakeholders such as the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association and neighborhood groups. Governance frameworks involve conditional land transfer agreements approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, oversight by the Treasure Island Development Authority board, and regulatory review under the California Environmental Quality Act. Funding blends municipal bonds authorized by local vote, private equity from developers like Wilson Meany, tax increment strategies interacting with California Redevelopment Law history, and federal grant programs administered through agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Transit Administration.
Controversies, legal challenges, and criticism
Controversies have centered on environmental cleanup adequacy litigated in state courts and contested before agencies like the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and United States Environmental Protection Agency. Legal challenges have involved the San Francisco Board of Supervisors decisions, lawsuits by tenant advocacy groups, and disputes over affordable housing obligations with advocacy organizations including Tenants Together and litigation referencing California Environmental Quality Act compliance. Criticism from civic groups and academics at institutions such as University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco State University has addressed resilience planning, displacement risk analyzed by researchers at the Urban Displacement Project, and fiscal impacts debated by the City Controller of San Francisco and regional planners at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.