{IACP} International Association Cities and Ports - PROJECT : San Francisco : Working waterfront and real estate management

Author: AIVP
On sale date: Monday, 24 October 2005
Type of document: Project
Location: America : United States : San Francisco
Language: English, French, Spanish

The port of San Francisco was born with the gold rush and the hundreds of ships coming into the San Francisco Bay from all over the world. It was an essential player in military logistics during the World War and, up to the middle of the last century, the West Coast's premier cargo port of the United States. The main part of the cargo traffic is today handled by the other ports in the Bay (Oakland, Richmond, etc.) and the Port of San Francisco is above all now known for its developments in the tourist sector. It nevertheless remains a poly-cargo port that, in 2004, handled nearly 2.4 million tonnes and 200,000 passengers.

The "Public Agency" that manages the port of San Francisco is in charge of the management of 12 km of finger wharfs and Bay shoreline. The management of the San Francisco waterfront was transferred by the State to the City and County in 1968, subject to the creation of a Port Commission to ensure a development of the waterfront in the interests of the citizens of California. The management of all Port property then became essential to ensure its revenues. The Waterfront Plan adopted in 1997 seeks to rationalise maritime, commercial and leisure activities along the Bay. The search for a financial balance and the optimisation of financing abilities are a constant worry.

© City of San Francisco
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Over the last thirty years, the city centre of San Francisco has gradually developed towards the Bay. The port is today concerned with a multitude of maritime, commercial and public activities. Its port and ship-repair activities are now mainly situated towards the South of the waterfront, beyond "China Basin". The North end of the peninsular, formerly dominated by the maritime industry, now mainly houses activities linked to the tourist industry (cruises, ferries, excursion boats), to leisure and to fishing. The North zone of the waterfront receives several million visitors each year and remains the main tourist attraction of the city.

Managing the space, financing the port

After 7 years of a very wide public consultation, the "Port of San Francisco's Waterfront Land use Plan" was adopted by the Port Commission in 1997. It lays down 7 major orientations:

To develop a working waterfront for maritime and water-dependent activities;
To revitalize the port through investments generating employment, revenues and public amenities for the benefit of the port, the city and the State;
To widen the scope of the activities and people on the waterfront;
To improve access to the waterfront through a network of parks, squares and promenades and an integrated transport system;
To promote an evolving waterfront, respectful of its past history and heritage whilst opening towards its future. To provide for the inhabitants the opportunity to integrate port activities into their daily lives;
To generate urban planning and architecture of a high quality for the new developments;
To provide economic access that reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the city.

The long-term plan defines the spaces necessary to the various maritime activities or directly linked with the water. Approximately two thirds of the Port's property is reserved for this. The rest will be given over to utilisations enabling it to become a waterfront provided with a day-time and a night-time life (recreational spaces, boutiques, restaurants, museum, etc.). Numerous sites of the port are thus defined as "Mixed Use Opportunity Areas", combining commercial uses, maritime activities, public spaces and access to the water. These developments are also called to contribute to the financing of the purely maritime activities.

© City of San Francisco

The challenge is sizeable: when the State transferred the port properties to the City, numerous facilities were in a bad state and have continued to deteriorate since then. The Capital Plan that the port has just drawn up for the next 10 years has put a minimum estimate of $1 billion for the present necessary work of repairs and improvements. The revenue generated by maritime activities does not permit the port to obtain sufficient self-financing and does not allow it to handle its other assignments relative to the protection of natural resources, and to the creation of public spaces and recreational installations.

Thus, the revenue generated by the "Mixed Use Opportunity Areas" can enable the port to carry out these public non-commercial investments and to develop "port projects". These investments over the last few years have concerned as much strictly port projects:

Fish Processing Facilities at Pier 45 in 1995;
Passenger Vessel Landing at Pacific Bell Park in 2000;
New fishing port at Hyde Street Harbour in 2001;
The Downtown Ferry Terminal where the first phase was completed in 2003...

...as the development of public accesses and parks:

Plazas and sidewalk improvements at Fisherman's Wharf in 1995;
Rincon Park in 2003;
China Basin Shoreline Park in 2003;
Mission Creek Park in 2003.

An urban park "Brannan Street Wharf" will also be laid out as from 2006 along the Bay between Piers 30-32 and 38.

The projects being carried out in the "Mixed Use Opportunity Areas" are being undertaken as public-private partnerships through a development agreement and long-term concessions with private developers. They thus enable the port to:

Finance the improvement of their infrastructures (repairs, bringing up to seismic-proof standards, remediation of hazardous materials, etc.);
Transfer the main part of the financial risk to private stakeholders;
Provide financial income for the port but also a share of the profits;
Reduce the costs for future maintenance, repairs and operating of the part of the installations that the private developers now have in their charge.

From the point of view of the public interest, these operations also contribute towards the preservation of numerous items of the port heritage and generate direct revenues for the City in the form of taxes. The "Planning and Development Division" carries out the management of these projects from their conception to the end of their effective development by the private partner. The Division also carries out the pre-development of the 'port projects'.

The principal projects under way (see previous map)

Southern Waterfont

This site of nearly 150 hectares constitutes the main site for cargo activities (Piers 80-96) and ship-repair industry (Pier 70). Strong pressure from the community has led to an analysis of their negative impact on the environment, to redefine their vocation and to study their economic viability.

Thus, as per the Waterfront Plan of 1997, the maintaining of the whole of the maritime activities on Pier 70 (26 hectares) has not been judged as desirable. The Pier has therefore been designated as one of the "Mixed Use Opportunity Areas". On the other hand, the maintenance of the shipyard was decided. Several buildings of the 19th and early 20th centuries with an important historical value have been identified on the site. They will be conserved and renovated for new utilisations. It is planned to call on non profit making organisations and / or public bodies for the financing. A master plan is currently being drawn up in order to respond to the challenge of attracting new inhabitants, employees, visitors and activities in this historic district in the immediate proximity of an active ship-yard

© City of San Francisco
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The port activities on Piers 80-96 will be reinforced. The accent is being put in particular on Piers 90‑94: modernisation of Pier 90, creation of a new warehousing and distribution area of 18 hectares on Piers 90-94 Backlands. New accesses and intermodal developments are programmed as well. The project also plans for the improvement or the creation of a protected reserve for wildlife as well as landscaping and the creation of green spaces enabling the public to get to the recreational areas in direct contact with the maritime activities of the port. A Concept Plan was established at the end of 2004 and feasibility studies on the environmental, technical and economic plans should be completed by end 2005.

Bryant Street Piers 30-32

The project aims to create a place of major attraction combining maritime, commercial and public activities. Are notably planned:

A cruise terminal (9300 m²) with retails and restaurant (18100 m²) at street level and offices and leisure establishments on the upper floors (30000m²). The construction of the cruise terminal should start at the beginning of 2007 to be completed by 2009 ;
and a tower block of 136 units ("Condo Tower") for which the first phase of work started in March 2004 (delivery in January 2006).

© City of San Francisco

Rincon Park Restaurants Project

	To the South end of Rincon Park, in the continuation of the Embarcadero, two restaurants and an outdoor dining "piazza" are planned to be built. They will be situated on the promenade along the waterfront. Negotiations for the concession were completed in January 2004; work started in September 2005 and should be completed in the spring 2006.
© City of San Francisco

FerryBuilding

The restoration and rehabilitation of this emblematic building listed as part of the national heritage, plans for a 9300m² "Market Place" on the ground floor (retail food shops, restaurants), transportation and public uses, local office meeting rooms for the Port Commission on the two upper floors (15 800m²). Work started in 2001 and was completed in 2004.
	© City of San Francisco

This programme plans for the development and rehabilitation of heritage buildings and of part of Pier 3. Restaurants and cafés are planned on street level, with offices upstairs, as well as pedestrian promenades and a water-taxi landing. The concession was approved in 2003, work started in 2004 and completion is expected for spring of 2006.

The Embarcadero Hotel, Broadway

For this international standard hotel of 255 rooms, the call for private partners has been renewed several times and the current call will expire at end November 2005. Work could start in January 2007 for a completion in January 2009.
	© City of San Francisco

Piers 27-31 - Mixes Use Recreation Project

This private-public project concerns a 7.5 hectare site including a certain number of historical infrastructures. This is notably the case for Piers 29-31 that will be restored and on which recreational spaces, recreation retail, offices, restaurants and parking will be installed. Warehouse 27 and its annex, of no heritage character, will be demolished and replaced by YMCA facility and sports installations as well as a public park. A basin dedicated to nautical sports will also be created. Work should start at the end of 2006 for a completion planned for the winter 2007-2008.

Source :
Major Planning and Development Projects / Port of San Francisco, November 2004
Port of San Francisco Strategic Plan
Port of San Francisco. Fiscal Responsibility and Feasibility Report. Proposed piers 27-31 mixed Use Recreation Project, 27 September 2005
Piers 90-94 Planning process, March 2004 & Piers 90-94 Development concepts, March 2004
Major Development Projects and Opportunities - Project Summaries, Port of San Francisco, July 2005
More information: Planning and Development Departement