In May, the San Francisco Port Commission unanimously approved the lease agreement between the Port of San Francisco and Orton Development for the rehabilitation and development of several historic buildings located on or near 20th and Illinois Streets at Pier 70.
Published: June, 2014
In May, the San Francisco Port Commission unanimously approved the lease agreement between the Port of San Francisco and Orton Development for the rehabilitation and development of several historic buildings located on or near 20th and Illinois Streets at Pier 70. The estimated $75 million project will save an extraordinary collection of historic buildings from potential collapse and return these cherished structures to a vibrant, integral part of the surrounding community.
The 20th Street Historic Project encompasses six historic buildings with more than a quarter-million square feet. Once rehabilitated, these historic office and industrial buildings will be home to a range of businesses including light industrial, technology, life science, office, artist studios and restaurant uses. The rehabilitation project will also create an indoor atrium in Building 113 and an outdoor plaza, both of which will be accessible to the public.
“San Francisco is serious about investment in our waterfront, and Pier 70 creates an opportunity to transform our Central Waterfront corridor into a vibrant neighborhood and regional destination while creating a center for manufacturing and technology,” said Mayor Ed Lee. “The Pier 70 project signals our commitment to balance the need for open space, maritime facilities, historic rehabilitation and new development sites on our City’s waterfront.”
The 20th Street Historic Buildings will be rehabilitated according to standards established by the Secretary of the Interior for the treatment of historic properties and adaptively reuse the buildings for office and light industrial uses. Additionally, access will be provided into and around these buildings for the public to experience this compelling historic district.
“This important historic rehabilitation project launches the beautification of and enhances the rich character of the Pier 70 area. The reuse of these historic facilities will foster the community’s enjoyment of Pier 70’s heritage improving the area for the benefit of residents and visitors to San Francisco’s waterfront,” said Port Commission President Leslie Katz.
The port anticipates start of construction this fall, with project completion in about 24 months. Construction of the project will employ an estimated 250 full-time workers and provide 400-500 permanent jobs when the project is complete and leased.
The Pier 70 area is one of the most important intact maritime industrial complexes west of the Mississippi, and is the oldest continuously operating shipyard on the West Coast. For over 150 years, some portion of the Pier 70 site has been in use for shipbuilding and repair, steel production and supporting heavy industrial uses. With the arrival of the Union Iron Works in the 1880s, the site became a major national and international shipbuilding center, launching, for example, the first steel-hulled ship built on the Pacific Rim. The shipyard at Pier 70, later acquired by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, built both merchant ships and warships, and was a major supplier for the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War and both world wars.
The National Park Service lists the Union Iron Works at Pier 70 on the National Register of Historic Places as San Francisco’s newest historic district. The 66-acre historic district was determined to be nationally significant for its association with the Union Iron Works and later Bethlehem Steel as pioneers in the establishment of the nation’s steel-hull shipbuilding industry and for the site’s industrial architecture representing the period 1886 to 1945.
In addition to recognition of the historical significance of the waterfront, these historic districts provide port development partners with access to federal tax credits that have been important to the economics of waterfront rehabilitation projects like the Ferry Building, Piers 1-5, 15 and now the 20th Street Historic Buildings.
Here are the Pier 70 historic buildings that are included in the project:
• Building 113/114 – The Union Iron Works machine shop consists of two masonry buildings built from 1885-1888, later joined by a concrete connecter in 1914.
• Buildings 115/115 – The Union Iron Works Foundry & Warehouse was constructed in 1916-1917 and consists of a three-bay reinforced concrete structure.
• Building 101 – The 61,311 square foot former Bethlehem Steel Office building will return to office use on the top four floors.
• Building 102 – The 11,266 square foot former Compressor House will be redeveloped as a restaurant.
• Building 104 – The 45,237 square foot former Union Ironworks office building was built in 1896 and will return to a single tenant office or medical office use.
• Building 14 – The 16,315 square foot double-gable metal warehouse constructed in 1944 will return to industrial use as a warehouse with ancillary office space.
