Dock redo set to rock more than Alcatraz
The docks where thousands of tourists board boats for Alcatraz Island each day will be turned into a shiny new welcome center with expanded ferry service, including possible trips to Fort Baker in Sausalito, under a plan approved Monday by the Port of San Francisco.
Nearly a decade in the making, the $34 million overhaul of Piers 31, 31½ and 33 on the Embarcadero is part of a 30-year deal that the port’s governing board signed off on with the National Park Service.
The federal agency, which manages the San Francisco Bay landmark that was once home to such notorious inmates as Al Capone and Alvin Karpis, is looking to outfit the port-run waterfront with an historical exhibition area, a shoreline plaza and new dining options.
The plan also calls for running additional ferries to tour the bay and potentially take visitors to other National Park sites. The changes are scheduled to begin moving forward next year.
“The National Park Service is genuinely excited about what the future holds,” said Laura Joss, superintendent of the Golden Gate
National Recreation Area, a division of the Park Service.
At the hearing of the five-member Port Commission, the Park Service plan was widely praised as a critical improvement to the city’s bayfront. Support came from the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Coastal Conservancy and the nearby Exploratorium.
Alcatraz remains one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist destinations, with roughly 1.7 million annual visitors.
But the go-ahead for the new island gateway did not come easily for the Park Service.
The plan involves selecting a ferry company to continue boat service to Alcatraz as well as provide new trips and finance the overhaul of the waterfront. Labor groups and boat operators had worried that the Park Service was rigging the selection process in favor of the current concessionaire, Hornblower Cruises, which they criticize for paying workers too little and potentially cornering the market.
Hornblower’s contract ends next May, and at the urging of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, the Park Service agreed to change the terms of the next arrangement. The new contract would require the concessionaire to pay workers more and limit how much the company can expand service. On Monday, labor groups and competing boat companies gave their blessing.
Bids for taking over the ferry service are being accepted through midJuly. Hornblower Cruises is among those competing. The company did not return requests for comment.
The 15-year contract is expected to generate between $44 million and $52 million annually.
Part of the income will come from hour-long interpretive cruises that the Park Service will require of the future ferry operator. Phased in over six years, boat service around the bay, touring such sites as Crissy Field, the Golden Gate Bridge and Angel Island, will be provided for 90,000 people annually, under the contract.
The new cruises will accommodate visitors who can’t get tickets to Alcatraz when the boats to the island fill up, according to park officials.
The contract will also allow the ferry provider to begin service to Fort Baker, a former Army Post that now serves as a 335-acre park, as well as to Rosie the Riveter World War II Homefront National Historical Park in Richmond. It’s not yet clear when and if those trips will begin.
The city of Sausalito has opposed forays to Fort Baker, saying the area is already overwhelmed by tourists. The Park Service has agreed to limit the Marin County trips to weekends.
Before Fort Baker service would begin, new terminals where the ferries can dock will have to be built.
The Park Service also plans to partner with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy on the redesign of the Embarcadero. The Conservancy likely will operate a visitor station and cafe, much like the Warming Hut at Crissy Field.
In total, the plan is expected to bring in $3.2 million of annual rent for the port, which manages more than 7 miles of city waterfront.
“It may have ruffled a few feathers,” said Port Commission President Kimberly Brandon, “but as everyone has said, this project has just gotten better and better.”
The arrangement still needs to be approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
“Our waterfront attracts more than 24 million people annually and is vital to the economy of our city,” Mayor Mark Farrell said in a statement. “Investing in the Alcatraz landing will help improve the safety and security of our residents and visitors, while ensuring the economic wellbeing of San Francisco.”