By Kate Snyder
A proposal to transform two piers and one seawall lot at San Francisco Port into a mix of residential, recreation, retail and office use is making progress toward completion. The project involves Piers 30 and 32 and Seawall Lot 330, which are located along The Embarcadero between Bryant and Beal streets within the South Beach neighborhood. Strada Investment Group and Trammell Crow Company are the developers behind the project and Grimshaw Architects is the designer.
The site includes approximately 13 acres of developable space on Piers 30 and 32 and 2.3 acres of space on the seawall lot, according to port records. The proposed project includes the removal of approximately 45 percent – or six acres – of the existing piers, habitat enhancements, green infrastructure and seismic and shoreline improvements to protect the harbor, port, city and neighborhood from sea level rise. Plans for the seawall lot features the construction of 850 residential units – which would include 25 percent affordable housing – as well as parks and open space.
Included with the proposed development is also a plan for the retention of the self-scouring deep-water berth on the east face of the piers, which according to information from the Port is integral for the area’s maritime operations as well as the City’s disaster response and recovery.
The original proposal from Strada and Trammel Crow Company called for the demolition of both piers and the construction of two new finger piers that would support waterfront public spaces and recreational uses, such as a floating swimming pool and access points for personal watercraft. The most recent proposal features a 634,500 square foot development of the seawall lot that would support 714 residential units, 34,800 square feet of open space and 13,000 square feet of retail. The piers would feature 57,000 square feet of retail and recreation space and 5.2 acres of public access area.
Amenities on the piers would include an aquatic recreational facility, kayak launch and storage, public promenade and a floating San Francisco Bay pool. More than 300,000 square feet of office space is also part of the planned development.
The negotiating agreement involving the Port and the developers was approved in 2021, records show. Since then, the project has undergone community and regulatory partner outreach and term sheet negotiations as well as begun its environmental review. This year, the schedule includes more outreach, completion of the environmental review, permitting, lease development and disposition agreement. Next year will come with more outreach and the final lease.
The Port’s goals with this site include developing and activating both piers with as much publicly accessible space and publicly-oriented uses as can be provided in a financially feasible project, establishing a new program that builds upon the existing maritime operations and strengthening both piers in preparation of seismic activity. The Port also has a focus on collaboration with stakeholders and community members as well as leveraging the site to generate revenue for other facilities in need of investment. In Port records, Piers 30 and 32 and Seawall Lot 330 have been described as “major unimproved sites” in the heart of the South Beach waterfront.
The Port of San Francisco manages 7.5 miles of waterfront that features popular attractions, historic districts, small businesses and maritime opportunities, according to the organization’s website. The Port is dedicated to the advancement of environmentally and financially sustainable maritime, recreational and economic opportunities for the City, Bay Area, and State of California.
