SF Might Get a Huge Waterfront Floating Pool
Thanks to NBC Bay Ayea for sharing the news that San Francisco just got a small step closer to having an epic waterfront floating pool.
While we’re still many years away from it becoming a reality (and it still needs to make it through the formal approval process), State Senator Scott Weiner recently authored a bill that aims to revitalize Piers 30-32, a 13-acre site just south of the Bay Bridge that is currently owned by the state and used for parking.
Part of the proposal to transform and upgrade the Pier area would be to build an Olympic-sized floating pool with amazing views of the bay. And yes, the pool would be heated.
But as cool as this idea sounds, don’t hold your breath. Many past attempts to revitalize these piers have failed, including plans to turn it into an area for the Warriors, a cruise terminal or a George Lucas museum.
Senator Wiener Introduces Legislation Authorizing Major Reconstruction & Redevelopment of Crumbling Piers 30-32
Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced SB 273, legislation authorizing a new visionary mixed use project at Pier 30-32 in San Francisco. SB 273 authorizes the State Lands Commission to approve the project, which adds sorely needed public recreation (including a public pool), authorizes retail and offices uses, rebuilds the piers — making them seismically safe and reducing sea level rise risk — removes acres of bay fill (thus creating more open water), and opens an adjacent project to produce hundreds of units of housing, including affordable housing. The project must still go through the normal permitting and environmental approvals process. SB 273 does not require the City and County of San Francisco to approve the project, but rather makes it legal for the City and relevant state agencies to approve it.
This critically important piece of emergency infrastructure has deteriorated significantly and is in serious need of a total rebuild. The deterioration has significant weight restrictions, and portions of the piers have been “red-tagged” and are fenced off from use. The pier has just 10-15 estimated years of useful life remaining.
The seawall is deteriorating, making seismic upgrades imperative to protect the city from sea level rise, flooding, and seismic activity. The total estimated cost for the needed sea level and seismic resilience improvements for the seawall is currently being assessed and is expected to be in the billions of dollars.
In total, the project will include over 3.3 acres of plazas, 375,000 square feet of office space, pedestrian promenades, and environmental benefits that improve bay water quality, create habitat, and reduce air emissions.
It includes public access and park areas, a floating swimming pool and human powered boating and bay swimming center, a family friendly market hall, and associated amenities. These public amenities create more opportunities for recreation and tourism in an important commercial corridor while the City is attempting to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
Bond proceeds and revenue from the office space on the rebuilt pier, will finance the project’s estimated $1.3 billion cost – $400 million for infrastructure including resilience cost and the deep water berth and the remaining $900 million to support the commercial, public benefits, and residential uses. These proceeds also fund the removal and return to open water of approximately 6 acres of Bay fill, a seismically enhanced sea wall, and a sea level flood line of defense to protect the harbor and city from the impacts of climate change beyond 2100.
Critically, the proposed project also opens the 725 units of housing – 25% affordable – to be produced on Seawall Lot 330 adjacent to the pier. These units will help the City meet its goal of producing 82,000 units of housing in the next 8 years.
Read more about the story at the NBC Bay Area.
