Treasure Island’s towering future revealed
June 24, 2009
 |
| Scenic view: Development plans for Treasure Island show two new neighborhoods creating a burgeoning skyline that would be easily visible from The City. (Courtesy renderings by SOM/©dbox) |
SAN FRANCISCO — Gazing eastward from The Embarcadero, one might catch a new sight in the future: a skyline on Treasure Island peppered with high rises.
The low-lying island is sparsely populated with about 3,000 residents, but years of planned building efforts are expected to create new stores, office space, a hotel, a ferry terminal and at least 6,000 new homes.
New roads and sewer lines could start to be laid in 2011, followed by eight to 11 years of construction-related work, according to Michael Tymoff, a city official overseeing the project.
The construction timeline will be shaped by economic and real estate conditions, he said.
The end result would be a town center and two new neighborhoods tied together by a 60-story residential tower near the island’s southern corner, which is the corner nearest San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island, new draft plans show.
Most of the island’s interior and East Bay-facing shoreline would be used for parkland, trails, sports fields, artificial wetlands and a 20- to 25-acre neighborhood farm, according to plans.
Housing would spread out from the landmark tower along the rectangular island’s southeastern and southwestern shorelines.
The island’s tallest buildings would be clumped around the 60-story structure, with smaller towers, flats and townhouses built on outer reaches, creating a skyline that would taper quickly as the eye shifts away from the main tower.
Near the 60-story tower, a ferry terminal is planned inside the historic, crescent-shaped Building 1, which faces San Francisco and was originally designed to serve as an airport terminal.
Commercial buildings and shops would line up in a block behind the ferry terminal, flanked by a marina, according to plans.
The shoreline would be reinforced to protect against rising seas, and building foundations will be resilient to earthquakes, Tymoff said.
Redevelopment of the island, which was built for the 1939 and 1940 World’s Fair, is contingent upon transfer of ownership from the Navy, which took control of it during World War II.
Negotiations between The City and the administration of President George W. Bush aimed at setting a purchase price failed last year, according to a June 10 letter to new Navy Secretary Ray Mabus signed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and both of California’s U.S. senators.
“We are looking forward to working directly with you to quickly complete the transfer process this year,” the lawmakers wrote.
A bar and grill, playground, corner store and Gaelic sports fields recently opened on Treasure Island.
Island oasis in the works
Plans for the development of Treasure Island have been made public.
Residential
1,320 Units in four skyscrapers on Treasure Island*
1,740 Units in 14 residential towers on Treasure Island*
2,520 Apartments in four-story buildings on Treasure and Yerba Buena islands*
500 Timeshare, hotel and wellness spa rooms on Treasure Island
600 Townhouses on Treasure and Yerba Buena islands*
Commercial
135,000 Square feet of institutional space, including a school, police and fire departments and a sailing center
270,000 Square feet of stores, including restaurants and entertainment venues
325,000 Square feet of commercial space, including a ferry terminal, museum and parking
* Minimum
Source: San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development
