San Francisco, CA - Mayor Edwin M. Lee joined Supervisor Malia Cohen and City agencies today to sign legislation that will transform Pier 70 by creating thousands of news homes and adding parks, community centers, small businesses and industrial and creative art spaces to a previously underserved area.

“To address the state and region’s ongoing housing crisis, we must be innovative and ambitious about creating housing opportunities, and Pier 70 is a result of that bold planning,” said Mayor Lee. “This project will provide affordable homes for our families, residents and local workforce, and support a diverse range of local businesses and artists. We are taking an underused and neglected part of our City and changing it into a vibrant community that everyone in San Francisco can enjoy.” 

Supported by Supervisor Cohen, the Port of San Francisco and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), Pier 70 will be transformed to create an active and sustainable neighborhood that recognizes its historic industrial past for San Francisco.

“This is a momentous time for our City,” said Supervisor Cohen. “After a decade of an extensive public process, we are moving forward a vision to reintegrate and restore a 28-acre site into the fabric of San Francisco while creating an active and sustainable neighborhood that recognizes its industrial past. In addition to over $750 million of public benefits, this project will bring access and connection to a piece of the waterfront that has never been accessible, and for that we should be incredibly proud.”

The Pier 70 project consists of 28 acres and is adjacent to the City’s Dogpatch neighborhood, at the historic shipyard at Potrero Point. New buildings within the site will complement the industrial setting and fabric in size, scale and material, with historic buildings repurposed for the arts, local manufacturing and community amenities.

The Pier 70 project details include:

• As many as 3,000 new residential units, of which 30 percent will be permanently affordable, with preference given to current District 10 residents.
• Approximately 400,000 square feet of active ground floor space, including traditional retail, arts, and maker uses.
• More than nine acres of new public open spaces, including parks and playgrounds.
• Preservation and rehabilitation of the Union Iron Works Historic District, including reuse of three historic buildings on site.
• Design elements aimed at protecting buildings and facilities from projected sea level rises.

“Once complete, Pier 70 will reflect the City’s diversity and creativity, inviting the public to new parks, restaurants, arts uses, event spaces and public access to the San Francisco Bay, in an area that has been closed to public access for more than a century,” said Elaine Forbes, Port Executive Director.

The Pier 70 project includes more than $750 million in public benefits, including a comprehensive transportation demand management plan, establishment of local hiring programs, on-site childcare facilities and funding commitments for low-income housing sites. 

“We set a lot of lofty goals with our vision for transforming the City’s Southern Bayfront,” said Ken Rich, the Director of the Development for OEWD. “We wanted each development site to maximize affordable housing and jobs for its community, include extensive open space and community facilities, spur transit improvements and meet aggressive sustainability targets. We are thrilled that Pier 70 will achieve those goals and more, while creating a truly great urban neighborhood.”

In 2011, the Port Commission selected Forest City as the development partner for the project. In 2014, 73 percent of voters supported Proposition F, the ballot measure supporting Forest City’s proposed vision for reuse of the area and enabling the Board of Supervisors to increase height limits at the site. Throughout this process, Forest City and the Port have undertaken extensive engagement and outreach efforts, hosting workshops, open houses, markets, tours, presentations and family events that engaged more than 75,000 people, to date.

“Earnest collaboration with the community and city over several years resulted in an exceptional project that mirrors what the neighborhood wants at Pier 70 and addresses issues important to the city,” said Kevin Ratner, president of Forest City West. “We are adding desperately needed housing, generating thousands of jobs, creating new parks, and providing space to sustain arts, culture and local manufacturing in San Francisco. Because of our community process, the development will meld the idiosyncrasies of Dogpatch’s history, culture and community to create a great new waterfront neighborhood. We are deeply appreciative of Mayor Lee’s support and for Supervisor Cohen’s leadership throughout the planning process. The Port of San Francisco has also been an astute partner in structuring a model public-private partnership. We are eager to move forward and plan to begin work at the site in February.”

Forest City is scheduled to begin obtaining permits to begin the first phase of construction this month. The full build out of the project is slated to take 10 – 15 years. 

More information about the project is available at www.pier70sf.com.