Recreating a Waterfront Jewel

With a visionary plan for what this site could become, Pacific Waterfront Partners, in collaboration with the Port of San Francisco, undertook a complete redevelopment of the vacant and barricaded group of pier, wharf, and building structures located on what is now a National Historic District.

Three Objectives: From the start, we understood that the developer’s goals for the site were threefold: rehabilitate the dilapidated structures while preserving the historic fabric, create value through the addition of commercial space, and reconnect the public with the waterfront.

History First: We needed to a full seismic retrofit of structures that would mix new elements with preserved ones. Using non-linear analysis and performance-based engineering to minimize impact on the historic fabric, we identified specific elements to strengthen. A non-historic building was demolished and the new structure braced adjoining existing structures, minimizing intrusion on historic elements. An innovative design using yielding steel bracing units was developed to allow the existing structure to move within acceptable stress limits. The capacity of the existing pier structure was enhanced by wrapping the tops of the existing piles with carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers.

Sizable Vision: The developer had faith in reinvesting in the waterfront. The finished development includes:
• 60,000 square feet of Class A commercial office space
• 17,000 square feet of retail space, restaurants, and cafes
• Water taxi services; recreational boating and fishing
• 40,000 square feet of public access to the waterfront

The site is leased by tenants that include Bloomberg, Geolo Investments, and Renaissance Technologies.