Waterfront Redevelopment in
San Francisco Brings New Flavor
to Rincon Park
San Francisco, CA
-M- n the shadow of San Francisco's Bay Bridge and less than 25 feet from
the water's edge is a half-acre lot used for storing construction equipment.
Over the past century the site has been home to saloons and restaurants,
boarding houses, stables, storage and warehouse facilities, manufacturing and
repair facilities, a vehicle depot, and railroad tracks associated with wharf
traffic. With community momentum behind it and EPA's site assessment
support, the Port of San Francisco is now working to transform this property
into two restaurants that will create up to 100 jobs and leverage more than $8
million in redevelopment funding.
The area that includes this 0.45-acre Brownfields project is known as Rincon
Park, and is part of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency's Rincon Point-
South Beach Redevelopment Plan, originally adopted in January 1981. With
the surrounding waterfront area already home to a marina, residential
developments, and commercial enterprises, including a new office building
for Gap, Inc., the plan calls for redevelopment of this brownfields parcel into
two new restaurants.
As an additional benefit to the area, Gap has supported the transformation of
two adjacent acres into a community park. San Francisco's Mayor Brown
attended the ribbon cutting ceremony of this new park in January 2003. The
park's architectural centerpiece is "Cupid's Span," a work that was chosen
from an internationally submitted host of designs.
Through the Rincon Point-South Beach Citizens Advisory Committee,
community members have been actively involved in the design and
implementation of the park and restaurant projects.
This brownfields restoration project was aided by EPA's Targeted Brownfields
Assessment (TEA) program. TBAs are provided through EPA's Brownfields
Program and are intended to finance site characterization services for
brownfields sites with redevelopment potential. These assessments give cities,
continued
"Cupid's Span " is the architectural
centerpiece of Rincon Park.
JUST THE FACTS:
• EPA Region 9 provided the Port of San
Francisco with approximately $40,000
in assessment assistance for the Rincon
Park property as part of EPA's TEA
program.
The assessment revealed some
contamination, and cleanup planning is
underway. Although final cleanup costs
have not been determined, developers
have agreed to pay for the cleanup.
The $8 million planned redevelopment
includes two 7,000-square-foot
restaurants that are expected to provide
75-100 new jobs. Gap, Inc., which has
an office building located in the
surrounding waterfront area, provided
an additional $2 million to create a
community park on two acres adjacent
to the Rincon Park property.
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states, and potential developers an idea of the contamination present and how much cleanup
will be necessary. In early 1999, EPA and Port of San Francisco representatives met
to discuss assessment of the half-acre site, and EPA Region 9 then provided the
Port with approximately $40,000 in assessment assistance. While the assessment
revealed some contamination, it also presented no surprises to Port officials.
Following the assessment, the Port was empowered with enough information
to proceed with cleanup and redevelopment planning. Although cleanup planning
of the restaurant area is still underway and final cleanup costs have not been
determined, developers have agreed to pay for the site's cleanup. Planned
development for the property is now estimated at $8 million for two 7,000-
square-foot restaurants that are expected to provide 75-100 new jobs.
Approximately $2 million was provided by Gap, Inc., to create the community
park. Restaurant construction is expected to be completed by the Spring of 2005.
With community momentum
behind it and EPA's site
assessment support, the Port of
San Francisco is transforming the
Rincon Park property into two
restaurants that will create up to
100 jobs and leverage more than
$8 million in redevelopment
funding.
View of the Rincon Park Project area.
CONTACTS:
For more information contact
Thomas Mix at (415) 972-3248.
Or visit EPA's Brownfields Web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Brownfields Success Story
San Francisco, California
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)
EPA 500-F-03-034
May 2003
www. epa.gov/brownfields/
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