South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
San Francisco’s ‘Grand Central’ terminal open
SAN FRANCISCO — Spanning three city blocks, San Francisco’s new $2.2 billion transit terminal opened in August after nearly a decade under construction.
Coined the “Grand Central of the West,” the new Salesforce Transit Center near the heart of downtown is expected to accommodate up to 45 million people a year.
Enveloped in wavy white sheets of metal veil, the five-level center includes a bus deck, a towering sky-lit central entrance hall and a rooftop park with an outdoor amphitheater.
On a recent weekday, the rooftop park was flooded with locals and tourists who were enjoying the sunny weather for picnics. The elevated park features open grass areas with portable chairs, a playground and kiosks with board games.
“I think it’ll be like the High Line in New York,” said Lissa Gould, 65, who likened the new park to New York’s 1.5-mile greenbelt that was built on a defunct elevated railroad line.
Others herald the terminal as the American West’s “Grand Central,” a reference to New York City’s world-famous Grand Central Terminal opened in 1913.
Yet to be completed at San Francisco’s center are restaurants, retail shops and a gondola. There also are plans for a three-plat- form train station underground and, eventually, connections to a highspeed rail line under construction in California’s Central Valley.
San Francisco native Clemente Casas, 82, enjoyed a walk with his wife through the outdoor gardens. He said the center was a welcome replacement for the 1930s-era Transbay Terminal that was demolished in 2010.
“It’s fabulous, and it’s long overdue,” he said. “It’s a great tourist attraction.”