Redwood City: A welcome port in a pandemic storm
From fresh fish to family events, South Bay port remakes itself as a destination spot
REDWOOD CITY >> When Giuseppe “Joe” Pennisi lost the spot where he used to dock his 76-foot trawler in Fisherman’s Wharf, the tradition his father had passed down seemed to have run its course.
The email he got in April 2020 from the Port of San Francisco was direct and businesslike: His permit would not be renewed because nearby Scoma’s Restaurant needed the space for outdoor seating during the pandemic.
Scouring the ocean outside the Golden Gate for black cod, rockfish and flatfish to sell at Pier 47 was what Pennisi had done for decades. Along with his deep-sea catches, Pennisi drew crowds by often providing live music and dance concerts.
Instead of calling it quits, Pennisi began calling cities and port authorities in the Bay Area looking for a new home. But outside of San Francisco and Oakland, there aren’t many deepwater channels and docks for a ship the size of his Pioneer.
Enter Redwood City, whose once obscure port is undergoing a dramatic change and turning into what officials hope is a mini-Fisherman’s Wharf.
“I called everywhere and they just kept telling me ‘no,’ ‘heck no’ and ‘never,’ ” Pennisi recalled. “When I called Redwood City, they were so thrilled they were almost yelling at the phone.”
That was in November, and Pennisi’s operation ended up being the per
fect match for a port that since last summer has seen a whirlwind of activities. In addition to the fish and chips stand and live music Pennisi sets up after every ocean excursion, area residents have been steadily flocking to the port for a breath of sea air, theater productions, drivethrough circuses and drivein movies.
Longtime Peninsula residents will no doubt remember the hustle and bustle of the port in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s after the legendary Pete Ucelli bought the bayfront land in 1954 and started Pete’s Harbor, complete with a marina and the 320-seat Harbor House Restaurant.
The port quickly became a mainstay for former servicemen and attracted other businesses and restaurants, such as Clark’s by the Bay that former 49ers star receiver Dwight Clark opened up.
After that heyday, the port turned quiet for a few decades, going about its business of unloading construction and landscape materials from ships that navigate their way down San Francisco Bay’s southern reaches.
Port Executive Director Kristine Zortman said the Pioneer and its crew are helping to turn the port into a gathering place again, complementing acts like last fall’s Zoppe Italian Family Circus.
“We’ve never had these kinds of uses here at the port before,” Zortman said. “One of the things I keep telling people is that the circus horses were probably the first horses we’ve had at the port since the Gold Rush with the whole logging industry. It’s been a huge success.”
Established in 1850 after California pioneers discovered a channel at the mouth of Redwood Creek, the Port of Redwood City with its five wharves and 190 berths has long been an economic engine for the city as the only deep-water port in the South Bay.
From its early use as a log float port to its current role handling cargo like sand, gypsum and scrap metal totaling about 2 million metric tons a year, the port has been quietly broadening its operations in recent years by occasionally offering public events, festivals, parades and crew races.
Zortman said she and other officials already had planned to “activate” more areas of the port before the pandemic, but with the ensuing stay-home health orders Zortman saw an opportunity to attract people searching for something to do outdoors.
“Last summer we were approached by the city because they wanted to use the port for drive-in movies,” Zortman said. “That was the first thing we started to host here, and it was received well.”
After that, the long-running Zoppe Circus did a drive-through circus attraction, which drew hundreds of families for about two months. But by far the most dynamic new addition has been Pennisi’s Pioneer Seafoods, Zortman said.
“When they’re selling fish on the weekend they do a great job of activating the space. They bring their own music, they have dance contests and sell fish and chips. It’s really cool.”
Redwood City Mayor Diane Howard said bringing in companies like Pioneer Seafoods is a sign that port officials “have really stepped up.”
“We know the port is a great business,” Howard said. “It has a worldwide reputation for what they do and provide as far as construction materials, delivery and so forth. But there haven’t been as many opportunities for the public to enjoy the port.”
Howard said she hopes the port’s current trend of attracting visitors continues as she and others push for projects like eventual ferry service.
Though Pioneer Seafoods was allowed to operate as a pilot program, Zortman said officials likely will give the 76-foot trawler a permanent home.
She said the port also is planning to build a new fishing pier and looking to reel in a restaurant again now that Clark’s by the Bay and the Harbor House are long gone.
For Pennisi, finding a home in Redwood City has been a lifesaver. He’s already getting return customers and is on his way to selling as many fish as he did in San Francisco.
“I knew nothing about the port’s plans,” Pennisi said. “People would tell me things like that this place had nicknames like ‘Deadwood City.’ I don’t see that. We’re very happy to be a part of making this place more welcoming.”