The Exploratorium Historic Rehabilitation Project at Piers 15-17

TYPE OF PROJECT

Public/Private Partnership Development Project
Northeast Waterfront, Piers 15-17 (Embarcadero at Green Street), San Francisco

PORT PROJECT STAFF

Byron Rhett, Director, Planning & Development Division
Jennifer Sobol, Project Manager (415-274-0548)

TENANT

The Exploratorium, the museum of science, art and human perception

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Wilson Meany Sullivan
Janice Thacher, Project Executive (415-905-5359)
James Suh, Project Manager (415-905-5364)

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

 Owner/Public Partner: Port of San Francisco

 Development Manager: Wilson Meany Sullivan

 Project Architect: EHDD Architecture

 Historic Preservation Architect: Page & Turnbull, Inc.

 Landscape Architects: GLS

 Construction Management: KPM Consulting LLC

 CEQA Consultant: PBS&J / EIP Associates

 Legal Advisors: Coblentz, Patch Duffy & Bass, LLP

 Structural Engineers: Rutherford & Chekene

DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

 Anticipated Construction Start: March 2010

Project Completion: April 2012

DEVELOPMENT COST

$175 million

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

  Relocation of the Exploratorium museum from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco to Piers 15 and 17 on the Embarcadero at Green Street.  Development and rehabilitation of the Pier 15 bulkhead building and shed, construction of a new building (the “Observatory Building”) to replace the existing non-historic connector building between the piers, and removal of the paved asphalt parking area in the valley to create an open water courtyard and outdoor exhibit area. 
Pier 15 will house the museum’s exhibits, a retail store, café, exhibit fabrication area, classrooms, theatre, the Tactile Dome and administrative offices.  The project will provide public access around the piers and will open up views to the Bay.  The new Observatory Building will have a café on the 1st floor and exhibits on the 2nd floor and a rooftop terrace on the small connecting portion to provide opportunities for visitors to view both the built and natural environments.  A water taxi dock will be constructed on the south apron to provide water taxi service, and ships will continue to berth on the east apron.  Baydelta Maritime, the tug & tow operator at Pier 15, will be relocated to Pier 17.  The Exploratorium hopes to expand the museum into Pier 17 in later years.  Visit the museum’s website for more information: www.exploratorium.edu\embarcadero

STATUS

• June 21, 2005, San Francisco Board of Supervisors exempts lease of Piers 15/17 to the Exploratorium from the City’s competitive bidding policy
• January 2006, Port completes Piers 15/17 Exclusive Maritime Use Study, which determines that Piers 15/17 are no longer needed exclusively for maritime use
• February 28, 2006, the Port and Exploratorium execute an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement & Term Sheet, which are amended and approved on August 12, 2008
• May 12, 2006, Piers 15/17  are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the San Francisco Embarcadero National Register Historic District
• July 25, 2006, after review of the Fiscal Responsibility and Feasibility Report, the Board of Supervisors determines that the Project is fiscally feasible and responsible; finding affirmed by Board on December 9, 2008 for revised Project
• November 10, 2007, the Initial Study for the EIR is published
• July 9, 2009, the Final Environmental Impact Report is certified by the San Francisco Planning Commission 

TIMELINE

• September 2009   Approval of transaction documents by Port Commission
• October 2009   Approval of Lease by Board of Supervisors
• March 2010   Close of Escrow

REQUIRED REGULATORY APPROVALS

The Project will require: a determination by the State Lands Commission staff that the Project is consistent with the public trust doctrine; a Major Permit from BCDC; certification of findings under CEQA by the San Francisco Planning Commission; recommendation by the Waterfront Design Advisory Committee and BCDC’s Design Review Board; amendments to BCDC’s Special Area Plan, the Waterfront Land Use Plan and Design & Access Element; approval of design drawings by the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) and the National Park Service (NPS); compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and compliance with the Port’s Guidelines; approval by Port Commission of the schematic design drawings, of the Lease Disposition and Development Agreement, Lease and other transaction documents; approval by the Board of Supervisors of the Lease; issuance of building permits and other permits from the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Army Corps of Engineers.

EXISTING FACILITIES & PRIOR USES

Pier 15

• Built in 1931
• Approx. 127,000 sq ft

Pier 17

• Built in 1912
• Approx. 110,000 sq ft

Valley, paved asphalt area between piers, added in 1955-56

Previous tenants included various shipping companies, steamship and navigation companies, tug and tow operators, industrial and office users, and a restaurant. During WWII, the piers were operated by the San Francisco Port of Embarkation for troops returning from the war.