Organized Labor

Building Trades Praised for Skilled Work

By Paul Burton
Contributing Writer

Three newly restored piers along the Embarcadero were opened to the public Nov 15 after 2-1/2 years of restoration and construction work. Workers from throughout the building trades, including Carpenters, Cement Masons, Laborers, Electrical Workers, Pile Drivers, Plumbers and Painters worked to demolish the old run-down piers and bring them back to life.

Members of the Masters, Mates and Pilots and Inland Boatmen’s unions also played a major role in the project.

At the Grand Opening, Simon Snellgrove, Managing Director of Pacific Waterfront Partners, praised the construction crews for their skilled work. He pointed out that many had performed the dangerous tasks of removing old rotting structures, including some underwater.

The condition of the old piers caused the project to take about six months longer than scheduled. Pilings beneath the piers were rebuilt one at a time, and a steel frame installed in existing walls as part of a seismic retrofit. A crew of Painters and Plasterers worked to put finishing touches on some interior and exterior spaces on the day of the grand opening.

Snellgrove’s construction firm was selected in 2001 by the Port of San Francisco to redevelop and re-use the historic Piers 1 1/2, 3 and 5. Work on the project, now known as “The Piers,” began in April 2004 and is nearing completion. The $55 million project on the east side of the Embarcadero, between Washington and Broadway Streets, will feature about 60,000 square feet of commercial office space and 17,000 square feet of cafés and restaurants (including outdoor seating). The Piers also provide over 40,000 square feet of public access. The construction of a publicly accessible bayside promenade was a requirement of the construction deal.

The public access component of the Piers was praised by speakers at the grand opening. Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, whose District includes the waterfront area, said that, “The people of San Francisco are really, truly delighted.” Port Director Monique Moyer called it “a magnificent public amenity.”

The Port Walk, 1,000 feet of newly accessible bay frontage, also links with the existing walkways to open to public use the waterfront from the end of Broadway to Pier 14 near the foot of Howard Street. Tourists and locals can stroll or go fishing, and view the Bay and historic buildings.

Bayside History Walk will tell the story of the restored historic buildings through plaques, images and models. Currently on display are historic photographs of longshore crews unloading ships and views of the waterfront over the years. The walk will pass between the historic lobby of Pier 1-1/2 and the old Delta Lounge slated for use as an upscale seafood restaurant.

Snellgrove said that the walkway along the Embarcadero extending past the Ferry Building, called Herb Caen Way after the San Francisco Chronicle columnist, will be pedestrian friendly. It will be lined with street furniture, covered waiting areas for carpool pick-up and information kiosks. These elements along with café seating and historic markers create a pleasant walking environment for pedestrians passing along San Francisco’s newest scenic boulevard, said Snellgrove.

Plans call for a restaurant to be established where the old Delta King and Delta Queen riverboats tied up at Pier 3, as well as a restaurant named in honor of longshore union leader Harry Bridges. The developers are currently seeking restauranteurs and cafe operators to lease the spaces. A large 11,000 square foot seafood restaurant and bar is proposed at Pier 1-1/2, with two smaller cafés ranging from 2500 to 3600 square feet at Pier 3 and Pier 5, with outdoor seating and views of the Bay and beyond.

The Piers will also include 60,000 square feet of commercial office space that “preserves the historic nature of the buildings while incorporating many state of the art modern amenities,” according to Pacific Waterfront Partners. The design also includes large windows to take advantage of natural light as well as offer Bay views. Other components of the project include water taxi services, maritime activities, including recreational boating and fishing, and transportation support structures.

The evolution of the Piers is traced in a Historical Overview on the Pacific Waterfront Partners website (www.thepierssf.com/h_overview.html). The developer notes that, “The Central Embarcadero Piers Historic District, comprised of Piers 1, 11/2, 3 and 5 is one of the largest surviving pier complexes along San Francisco’s Embarcadero.” The piers were built as part of the City Beautiful movement, begun in 1905 by architect Daniel Burnham. Piers 1-1/2, 3 and 5 opened in 1918 and handled freight and passenger traffic and housed offices and storage space for many years.

During their heyday, from 1927 until they stopped running in 1940, the Delta King and Delta Queen landed at Pier 3, providing connections between San Francisco and Sacramento. The piers fell into disuse after World War II, in part because the Ports of Oakland, Alameda and Richmond were better equipped to respond to the conversion to containerized shipping. Over time, the buildings deteriorated, and by December 2000 most of them were condemned by the port. The piers are by the National Park Service on the National Register of Historic Places.

The new multi-use piers reflect the goals of the Waterfront Land Use Plan, created as a citizens’ initiative in 1990— to encourages creation of new public access, recreation and open space along the Bay while reserving to the Port’s properties the expansion of maritime operations, and allowing “compatible new commercial development that will increase public enjoyment of the waterfront, help subsidize maritime industries, fund new public access and open spaces, and help stem the continuing deterioration of Port property.”

Pacific Waterfront Partners formed a partnership with the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) to develop the project. The contractor for the renovation was S.J. Amoroso Construction Company, Inc. and the architects for the project Hannum Associates and Tom Eliot Fisch.

San Francisco’s CityBuild Academy offers disadvantaged and low-income residents an opportunity to learn a skilled trade and find employment in the City in the construction industry through its apprenticeship training program. It also offers a second chance to those who take advantage of it.