The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.
A bill under consideration by the California State Legislature would authorize construction of a heated, Olympic-sized pool in the San Francisco Bay.
In an article for the Mercury News, Marissa Kendall reports that the bill is necessary because the state owns the proposed site of the pool—Piers 30-32.
The project would replace two connected, dilapidated piers currently used as parking. One pier would be rebuilt and converted into 375,000 square feet of offices and 45,000 square feet of retail space. The other would become the pool, which would float on a barge, and would include space for lap swimming, water polo games and lounging in a hot tub. A section of the Bay surrounding the pool would be dedicated to open water swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding.
Trammell Crow Company, the project developer, is also proposing a 725-unit apartment tower across the street.
State Senator Scott Wiener, (D-San Francisco) authored the bill, Senate Bill 273. Sen. Wiener is more familiar to Planetizen readers as one of the primary driving forces of the pro-development political agenda that has gained traction in the state in recent years.
“Past attempts to revitalize the piers have fizzled — including ideas to turn them into an arena for the Golden State Warriors, a George Lucas museum and a cruise terminal,” notes Kendall. Wiener belies the current proposal will succeed because of its intentions to preserve the piers, which previous development proposals did not include.
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