Pier 70

Since 2017, the Port has connected with tens of thousands of San Francisco residents through the Waterfront Resilience Program.

Public feedback collected about Pier 70 underscores the importance of maintaining the maritime industry through such functions as vessel landings, providing for mixed-use development, including housing, and rehabilitation of the piers. 

Further feedback highlights additional community priorities, including opportunities to:

• Enhance green space.
• Preserve and adapt historic resources.
• Improve housing availability and transit access.

Community feedback also helped identify places in Pier 70 that people love, from taking in the sights and scenes along bustling historic Pier 70 to enjoying outdoor space along one of the bike paths to staying connected by hopping on the T-Third Muni Metro line. In-progress projects like Crane Cove Park and the Pier 70 mixed-use development are part of the ongoing neighborhood development and enhancements that are accounting for sea level rise.  

Click on the blue dots to learn more about each place.

The Port, in collaboration with City partners and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is taking steps to better understand the different seismic and flood risk along its 7.5-mile bayside jurisdiction. Recent efforts include the:

• Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment
• Flood Resiliency Study (with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
• Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Consequences Assessment (City of San Francisco)
• Islais Creek Adaptation Strategy (with SF Planning, SFMTA, and SFPUC)
• Initial Southern Waterfront Seismic Study
• Southern Waterfront Seismic Vulnerability Assessment

Scroll down to learn more about the seismic and flood risks in the Pier 70 subarea based on these findings.

Improving the seismic safety of the waterfront is a top priority of the Waterfront Resilience Program. See the  Seismic and Flood Risk 101  page to learn more about the history of earthquakes in the Bay Area and San Francisco’s commitment to improving seismic safety. 

Much of the Pier 70 subarea is located in the future Pier 70 development project. This project will be built to current seismic safety standards, significantly reducing the earthquake risk in this location. 

Keep scrolling to learn more different types of seismic risks.

Liquefaction is an unique phenomenon that happens when water-saturated sediment (like sand) temporarily loses strength and acts as a fluid. Imagine jumping on wet sand near the water at the beach until it turns soft and your feet sink in.

Liquefaction is caused by strong ground shaking during an earthquake and is greater in areas with sandy soils. As a result of liquefaction, buildings, roads and utility lines may lose their foundational support and the likelihood of significant damage increases. 

The map shows the Pier 70 liquefaction risk rated as: Very High (dark red), Moderate (orange), and Very Low (yellow)

Areas rated Very High are built entirely on bay fill or on piles over open water in areas of thick bay mud. Areas rated Very Low likely have a thinner layer of fill material over more stable ground.  

Liquefaction can also increase the risk of lateral spreading, which is when gently sloping ground starts to move downhill, causing cracks to open up. Lateral spreading is a seismic hazard that causes large areas of land to move, typically toward a body of water. This results in potentially large cracks and settlement at the ground surface, resembling a landslide but on relatively flat ground.

Within the stretch of waterfront between  Fisherman’s Wharf  and  South Beach  covered by the Embarcadero Seawall Program, the lateral spread risks presented are unique and acute. 

The Pier 70 subarea is outside of the Embarcadero Seawall Program area.  

A preliminary seismic assessment for Pier 70 will be completed as part of the Initial Southern Waterfront Seismic Study, which will:

• Examine potential earthquake hazards and vulnerabilities along the waterfront between Mission Creek and Heron’s Head Park.
• Recommend areas for further analysis and produce a conceptual list of potential seismic mitigation measures.

Further information about the potential seismic hazards and vulnerability of Pier 70 will be included in the Southern Waterfront Seismic Vulnerability Assessment. This assessment will not be at the same level as the recently completed  Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment  (MHRA) under the Embarcadero Seawall Program. It will be used in the Flood Resiliency Study (with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) and Islais Creek Adaptation Strategy (with SF Planning and SFMTA) as part of the Port’s work to better understand the waterfront risks of the entire 7.5 miles in its jurisdiction.

Interested in learning more about what the Port is considering to improve seismic safety along the waterfront? Visit the  Measures Explorer  page to read about specific strategies for adapting San Francisco's waterfront in the event of earthquakes.

The Port and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have partnered to study flood risk along San Francisco’s bayside shoreline. The Flood Resiliency Study is one of several federal, state, and local collaborations to help the Port increase resilience along the San Francisco shoreline.

Launched in Fall 2018, the approximately three- to five-year Flood Resiliency Study will identify vulnerabilities and identify recommended strategies to reduce current and future flood risks for consideration by the Assistant Secretary of the Army and the U.S. Congress for federal investment and implementation.

Scroll down to see the different risks and impacts for Pier 70 when considering various scenarios for flooding and sea level rise. The flood maps presented here are from the  Adapting to Rising Tides Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer .

Overtopping is when water, usually in the form of storm surge or a wave, can reach over the shoreline and cause inland flooding. In general, overtopping of natural shorelines such as wetlands and beaches occurs at a lower flood elevation than overtopping of engineered shorelines such as seawalls, bulkheads, and wharves.

Red lines shown on the map indicate where overtopping begins to occur with 36 inches of sea level rise or a 50-year coastal flood event today (without sea level rise). Overtopping of the short stretch of engineered bay shoreline at Pier 68 would cause minor inundation of the industrial land near the shoreline. 

Learn more below about how flooding or future sea level rise is likely to impact Pier 70.

A tipping point is reached when the impacts of a flood go beyond a certain area, creating cascading consequences that can have citywide or regional ramifications. Damage is more than can be immediately addressed and affects critical assets and the community. The Port and the City use the concept of a tipping point to understand when planning for large-scale shoreline adaptation projects is necessary and which site-specific approaches to flood risk reduction may be overwhelmed. Understanding tipping points and how they vary along the waterfront can also help compare and prioritize projects along the waterfront.

The Pier 70 subarea reaches a critical tipping point with 66 inches of sea level rise, or 25 inches of sea level rise combined with a 100-year coastal flood event. In this situation, overtopping would:

• Occur over several locations, including Pier 68, which is part of the Union Iron Works Historic District, and cause inundation of neighboring shorelines. 
• Cause flooding that combines with the flooding in the  Mission Bay  and  Pier 80  subareas. 
• Prevent land access to the large vessel berth at Pier 68 used for disaster response and recovery efforts.
• Impact the Twentieth Street Pump Station, which is a small wastewater pump station that serves the eastern end of Twentieth Street and the Todd Shipyard. This pump station will be replaced as part of the Pier 70 development project.

This map shows the flood impacts for Pier 70 when considering the City’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Zone.

The City’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Zone covers areas that will likely face future flooding and inundation in a 100-year coastal flood combined with 66 inches of sea level rise. This is a high-end scenario projected by the end of the century. Projects within the Zone must include sea level rise adaptation strategies to support the increased resilience of San Francisco’s communities, but they are not usually required to build that level of flood risk reduction now. Rather, they must demonstrate approaches to adapt to that flood level at a later time.

Under this scenario, about half of the Pier 70 subarea could be flooded, including a Disaster Response assembly area and a portion of Illinois Street. Flooding and closures along Illinois Street would increase traffic and cause disruption for the transit network, including the T-Third Muni Metro line. Illinois Street is also a designated heavy truck route that is used to support disaster response and recovery efforts. 

The Port and the City are also considering the H++ Scenario in the  State of California’s most recent Sea Level Rise Guidance (2018) . The H++ Scenario (shown in magenta) represents the area that could be inundated by 2100 if global ice sheets melt much faster than currently anticipated.

Interested in learning more about what the Port is considering to mitigate flooding and sea level rise? Visit the  Measures Explorer  page to read about specific strategies for adapting San Francisco's waterfront.

Given the potential impacts of earthquakes, flooding, and future sea level rise, what is at stake in Pier 70?

The following maps detail important disaster response resources, transportation services, maritime industries, public utilities, parks, and historical and cultural resources located in Pier 70.

Community indicators, such as income level, mobility access, race, age, education level, language access, all play a part in how communities are impacted and able to prepare and respond to hazards like earthquakes and sea level rise. As sea levels rise, the portions of the Pier 70 subarea that are outside of the Pier 70 multi-use project are vulnerable to flooding of the maritime and industrial facilities and services that affect jobs, the economy, and the ability to move goods. 

A result of this flooding could be the need to reroute trucks or relocate industrial use that raise air and noise pollution, as well as other potential environmental contamination concerns, as factors to consider. 

New waterfront development projects at Pier 70 will strengthen the central waterfront, including introducing mitigation measures for sea level rise and construction to current seismic safety standards. Thirty percent of rental units in the new Pier 70 mixed-use neighborhood will be affordable to low- and moderate-income families. The project will also add 9 acres of waterfront parks, open space, and recreation areas, creating more spaces for residents from all over the city to enjoy the waterfront. 

The planned Pier 70 development project will address flooding and future sea level rise, meaning that the risk here is likely less than represented below. 

Keep scrolling to learn more about how particular places and services in Pier 70 could be impacted by these risks.

Pier 70 provides important disaster response services that are currently vulnerable to temporary and permanent flooding.

Important disaster response infrastructure currently located in Pier 70 include: 

• A large vessel berth at Pier 68 that could be used to assemble people for evacuations.
• Illinois Street, which is a major roadway and heavy truck route that crosses Islais Creek channel via the Illinois Street drawbridge and connects to the Mission Bay, Dogpatch, and Hunter’s Point / Bayview neighborhoods. Roadways that can support heavy truck traffic are important to support recovery efforts after a disaster occurs.

Click on the yellow dots on the map to learn more about disaster response services in Pier 70.

The T-Third Muni Metro line, the city’s newest light rail line which began full-time service in 2007, runs along Third Street and offers important north-south transportation links to the broader Muni Metro system with a connection near Embarcadero and Third Street. 

There are also 15 Muni stops currently active within Pier 70, and the Muni Central Subway turnaround loop is located at 18th / 19th Street. 

The San Francisco Bay Trail, a network of bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths, runs through the Pier 70 subarea as a key route.

Click the blue dots of the map to explore transit options available in Pier 70 and consider how a flood or seismic event could alter how residents move to, from, and around their neighborhood.

Pier 70 has a maritime history that goes back 150 years. Many of the buildings and structures are part of the Union Iron Works Historic District because of their connection to San Francisco’s ship building and repair past. 

One of the key maritime facilities is Pier 68, which consists of large ship dry docks, cranes, and industrial buildings. Its large dry dock is one of only five ship repair yards on the West Coast that can repair extra-large sized vessels. While the pier could continue to be used under temporary flood scenarios and activities could resume after flood waters recede, permanent inundation would eliminate the ability to use Pier 68 for ship repair. 

The Pier 70 development project is a public-private partnership led by the Port in close coordination with the City to create new, mixed-use development in the area as well as restore and rehabilitate historic resources, while creating new waterfront parks and waterfront access. Where possible, the project will incorporate sea level rise adaptation and address potential hazards related to contaminated lands. 

Click on blue dots to learn more about the maritime facilities and services in Pier 70.  

Draft guiding principles of the Waterfront Resilience Program include creating opportunities to enhance and expand open space, increasing free public access to the waterfront, restoring habitats, and offering educational opportunities.

The Pier 70 subarea includes open spaces such as Esprit Park, a small urban park in Potrero Hill and a popular place to bring dogs, and portion of the San Francisco Bay Trail, a waterfront walking and cycling path around the entire bay that runs through all nine counties, currently available to the public. The Pier 70 area includes planned projects to offer additional green space and high-quality waterfront access. These planned projects will accommodate coastal flooding and sea level rise to provide lasting benefits to the community. These planned projects include:

• Blue Greenway, which is the City’s effort to improve both the San Francisco Bay Trail and the San Francisco Bay Water Trail, a network of boat launching and landing sites.
• Crane Cove Park, a new park along the shoreline that has already begun construction. 
• Slipways Park, part of the Pier 70 project to create new waterfront parks, will revitalize and rehabilitate historic resources and provide educational opportunities about Pier 70’s shipbuilding past.

Click the green dots on the map to learn more about these public sites and open parks and consider how earthquakes and sea level rise will impact waterfront public spaces.

San Francisco’s neighborhoods and businesses rely on buried and above ground infrastructure, such as wastewater and stormwater pipelines, power lines, and water distribution pipelines. Pier 70 hosts important utilities that are critical to the city as a whole. These include the:

• Twentieth Street Pump Station, which serves the eastern end of 20th Street and the Pier 70 Shipyard. It has a pumping capacity of 3 million gallons per day and conveys dry wastewater and combined wet weather flows to the 20th Street gravity sewer connection. 
• Channel force main, a 66-inch diameter reinforced concrete pipe that connects the Channel pump station to the Southeast Treatment Plant located in the  Islais Creek  subarea. 
• Tennessee Pump Station, a small wastewater pump station with a pumping capacity of 2.2 million gallons per day. It serves a 2.4-acre neighborhood during dry weather and a larger 15-acre area during wet weather.

Decommissioned utilities such as the Potrero Power Station are being reconfigured under projects like the City’s Central Waterfront Plan, which identified the station for additional growth and potential for residential, commercial, and waterfront park land uses. 

Click the gray dots on the map to learn more about the city’s major utility infrastructure in Pier 70.

The Pier 70 subarea’s maritime and industrial past is being incorporated and reimagined to be part of its landscape today and in future. 

The Pier 70 subarea is identified as a future National Historic District due to its over 150 years of continuous operations in ship building and repair as well as its architectural and engineering feats and the role it played in the industrialization of the Western United States and the war efforts. At the peak of the ship building activity during WWII, more than 18,000 people worked at Pier 70. In 1982, the Port of San Francisco assumed ownership of the property and since 2007 has engaged with community to develop concepts, activate the site, and implement shared visions for an accessible waterfront. 

Efforts like the Pier 70 project to create new, mixed-use development while revitalizing and restoring buildings and providing new waterfront parks and shoreline access support the preservation and enhancement of the legacy of the Union Iron Works Historic District.

Landmarks like the Irving Murray Scott School, San Francisco’s oldest surviving public schoolhouse, which originally served Dogpatch residents, speaks to a tradition of seeking collaborative ways for the neighborhood to thrive. 

The City’s Central Waterfront Area Plan has identified the Potrero Power Station, a 28-acre site that operated for 150 years before being decommissioned in 2011, as a site for additional growth and potential for residential, commercial, and waterfront land uses. This project will also include mitigation for sea level rise and be built to current seismic safety standards.

Click on the orange dots to learn more about the historical and cultural sites found in and near Pier 70. 

After assessing community priorities and specific seismic and flood risk in this subarea, the Port and its partners, including the City, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other key stakeholders, are currently reviewing potential strategies for addressing these challenges and adapting the waterfront to reduce risks and meet the needs, priorities, and visions of the community over time. The Port has begun to identify measures, or specific strategies for adapting San Francisco's waterfront in the face of earthquakes, flooding, and future sea level rise. Visit the  Measures Explorer  to learn more.

A preliminary seismic assessment for the subareas between  Mission Creek  and  Heron’s Head  will be completed as part of the Initial Southern Waterfront Seismic Study.

Thank you for reviewing the Pier 70 Waterfront Resilience Story Map. To view more detailed information about this subarea, click on the technical documents below.

•  Subarea Profile 
•  Flood Risk Profiles 
•  Problems, Opportunities, Objectives, Constraints, and Considerations (POOCC) Fact Sheet