Treasure Island, California
Encyclopedia
Treasure Island is an artificial island
in the San Francisco Bay
between San Francisco and Oakland
, and an emerging neighborhood of San Francisco.
Treasure Island is connected by a small isthmus
to Yerba Buena Island
. It was created in 1936 and 1937, from fill dredged from the bay, for the Golden Gate International Exposition
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island together have a land area of 2.334 km2 (0.901 sq mi) with a total population of 2,500 as of the 2010 census
. The island is named after the novel Treasure Island
, by Robert Louis Stevenson
, who lived in San Francisco from 1879 to 1880.
Treasure Island is entirely within the City and County of San Francisco, whose territory extends far into San Francisco Bay
and includes a tip of Alameda Island
. The 535 acres (2.2 km²) man-made island used to be owned by the U.S. Navy, but was later sold to the city of San Francisco for $108 million as part of a redevelopment project. On June 8, 2011, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
approved a 19,000 person new neighborhood to be developed on it over the next 20–30 years by Wilson Meany Sullivan, Lennar Urban, and Kenwood Investments.
) in both directions. Travel between Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands and the rest of San Francisco is toll-free in both directions.
There is one bus line that serves the island: San Francisco Muni's bus 108. Before the Transbay Terminal was demolished, this bus line was the only Muni bus line to use the Transbay Terminal ramps, similar to the east bay Transbay buses.
When the replacement eastern span of the Bay Bridge is completed, it will carry a bikeway that connects Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands with Oakland.
s on the north side of Yerba Buena Island for the Expo in 1939. The connected Yerba Buena Island sits in the middle of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge. Built by the federal government, Treasure Island was planned for and used as an airport for Pan American World Airways
flying boats, of which the China Clipper
is an example. After the 1939–40 World's Fair
of the Golden Gate International Exposition
, the island was scheduled to be used as an airport until the Navy
offered to exchange Mills Field
on the San Francisco Peninsula
near the city of Millbrae
for the island. The City and County of San Francisco accepted the swap, and the airport was built at Mills Field.
During World War II
, Treasure Island became part of the Treasure Island Naval Base, and served as a training center for nuclear decontamination, an electronics and radio communications training school, and as the major Navy departure point for sailors in the Pacific.
During the 1980s Treasure Island was utilized by the U.S. Navy for shipboard fire fighting and damage control training for Hull Maintenance Technicians, and other sailors. Treasure Island housed the "Buttercup" which was a static damage control trainer that was used for real time shipboard battle damage repair and control.
Additionally, the Hull Maintenance Technician Training School Phase "A" was trained at Treasure Island for Nuclear, Biological, Radiological and Chemical Warefare Training as part of their phase "A" and phase "B" training.
In 1996, Treasure Island and the Presidio
Army Post were decommissioned and opened to public control, under stipulations. Treasure Island is now part of District 6 of the City and County of San Francisco, though it is still owned by the Navy. In 1993, the naval station was selected for closure, and Navy operations ended there in 1997. Some of the property was transferred to the Federal Highway Administration, the Labor Department and the U.S. Coast Guard, and the rest is open for development.
Problems have arisen over the determination of Treasure Island's fair-market value. The city's redevelopment agency, The Treasure Island Development Authority, valued the land at $13.8 million, and the city offered the Navy $40 million for the property. Two other estimates determined the fair market value at $250 million. However, in 2008 Congress offered the publicly held property to the city of San Francisco for nothing, under Section 2711 of HR 2647, drafted by Rep. Sam Farr
.
The island used to have a gas station, but it is currently unused. It is served by a single Muni bus route, the 108 Treasure Island. It has a job training center, and is also home to San Franciscans and many college students who attend school downtown.
Building One is a Streamline Moderne
-styled remnant of the World's Fair
and is one of the few buildings remaining from the exposition. Originally intended as the terminal for the airport, it housed the Treasure Island Museum from 1976 to 1997. Today it serves largely as offices for The Villages, a private apartment rental agency. The former housing for officers and their families is rented out to the general public, pending redevelopment and reconstruction of buildings on the island, slated for 2012-2014.
A substantial part of the island is undergoing environmental cleanup by the federal government and the City of San Francisco has begun to attract commercial development on the island, most notably The Winery SF, a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) winery, tasting room and event venue along the waterfront when you first enter the island. With the development of commercial enterprises like The Winery and special events, the island is beginning to develop hundreds of thousands of visitors to it each year and has become a popular place for visitors stop and take photos because of its spectacular views of the City of San Francisco.
s used in filmmaking
and television productions.
In 1988, Treasure Island stood in for the Berlin airport in Steven Spielberg
's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
. Numerous pictures starring Robin Williams
were filmed on the island, including Flubber, What Dreams May Come
, Patch Adams
and Bicentennial Man
. Sigourney Weaver
's character in the thriller Copycat
lived in an impressive private compound on the island. Also filmed there was The Parent Trap
and it was used in an establishing shot of The Caine Mutiny
, the trial which ostensibly takes place on Treasure Island, though this is never mentioned or referenced in the film.
Treasure Island hangars served as the stage location for the "bullet time
" visual effect in The Matrix
and as soundstages for the film adaptation of Rent
directed by Chris Columbus
.
For three years Treasure Island served as the site of Comedy Central
's Battlebots
television show. The offices and penthouse apartment sets in Nash Bridges
were located on the island during the show's production (1996–2001). The island currently serves as base of operations for the prototypers in the Discovery Channel
series Prototype This!.
One of the warehouses on Treasure Island served as a film setting for a NBC series titled Trauma
.
, one of the largest developers in the United States, proposed to build a self-sustaining city on Treasure Island. According to the San Francisco Chronicle
, the proposal has 8,000 units of housing in several lowrise buildings, restaurants and a ferry terminal facing San Francisco. The plan also contains several midrise towers, four 40-story towers and one 60-story tower called the Sun Tower (formerly Treasure Island Tower). It also has an organic farm, a wind farm
, parkland and tidal marsh
es. The proposal is designed to be as car-independent as possible, with the ferry terminal and basic goods within a 10-minute walk of the residences. A toll of $5 has been proposed to deter non-residents from driving onto the island. This is a change from the original plan which was more car-dependent and had only one highrise tower. The Navy has signed two "Findings of Suitable Transfer" or FOST documents which allow development plans to continue. The development is currently set to break ground in 2012.
The San Francisco Gaelic Athletic Association has recently leased land on the island to create athletic fields which will be used mainly for Gaelic football
and hurling
. The 3 fields will be home to future North American Championships as well as visits from Irish All-Star teams.
The University of California
Golden Bears
Rugby
team will play their home games on Treasure Island in 2011 while California Memorial Stadium
and its Student-Athlete High Performance Center is undergoing construction and retrofitting.
and the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, the groundwater and air are contaminated with asbestos
, plutonium
, radium
and other substances which are known to cause cancer and other illnesses.
Another risk of living on Treasure Island is the high risk of liquefaction
during an earthquake. All of Treasure Island is built on landfill
, and few if any of the buildings on the island were built to withstand a major earthquake, much less an earthquake magnified by liquefaction.
The Cosco Busan oil spill of 2007 happened just a few hundred yards from Treasure Island. The majority of the pollution was carried by the bay currents to other shores; however, cleanup crews spent several weeks cleaning the coast of Treasure Island as well.
Artificial island
An artificial island or man-made island is an island or archipelago that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means...
in the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
between San Francisco and Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, and an emerging neighborhood of San Francisco.
Treasure Island is connected by a small isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
to Yerba Buena Island
Yerba Buena Island
Yerba Buena Island sits in the San Francisco Bay between San Francisco and Oakland, California. The Yerba Buena Tunnel runs through its center and connects the western and eastern spans of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. It has had several other names over the decades: Sea Bird Island, Wood...
. It was created in 1936 and 1937, from fill dredged from the bay, for the Golden Gate International Exposition
Golden Gate International Exposition
The Golden Gate International Exposition , held at San Francisco, California's Treasure Island, was a World's Fair that celebrated, among other things, the city's two newly-built bridges. The San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge was dedicated in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge was dedicated in 1937...
. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island together have a land area of 2.334 km2 (0.901 sq mi) with a total population of 2,500 as of the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
. The island is named after the novel Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
, who lived in San Francisco from 1879 to 1880.
Treasure Island is entirely within the City and County of San Francisco, whose territory extends far into San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
and includes a tip of Alameda Island
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
. The 535 acres (2.2 km²) man-made island used to be owned by the U.S. Navy, but was later sold to the city of San Francisco for $108 million as part of a redevelopment project. On June 8, 2011, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislative body within the government of the City and County of San Francisco, California, United States.-Government and politics:...
approved a 19,000 person new neighborhood to be developed on it over the next 20–30 years by Wilson Meany Sullivan, Lennar Urban, and Kenwood Investments.
Transportation
Treasure Island is connected to Yerba Buena Island, which has exits and entrances into and out of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge (I-80Interstate 80 in California
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 80 , a major east–west route of the Interstate Highway System, has its western terminus in San Francisco, California, United States. From there it heads east across the Bay Bridge to Oakland, where it turns north and crosses the Carquinez Bridge...
) in both directions. Travel between Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands and the rest of San Francisco is toll-free in both directions.
There is one bus line that serves the island: San Francisco Muni's bus 108. Before the Transbay Terminal was demolished, this bus line was the only Muni bus line to use the Transbay Terminal ramps, similar to the east bay Transbay buses.
When the replacement eastern span of the Bay Bridge is completed, it will carry a bikeway that connects Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands with Oakland.
History
Treasure Island was built with imported fill on shoalShoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
s on the north side of Yerba Buena Island for the Expo in 1939. The connected Yerba Buena Island sits in the middle of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge. Built by the federal government, Treasure Island was planned for and used as an airport for Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
flying boats, of which the China Clipper
China Clipper
The China Clipper was the first of three Martin M-130 four-engine flying boats built for Pan American Airways and was used to inaugurate the first commercial transpacific air service from San Francisco to Manila in November, 1935. Built at a cost of $417,000 by the Glenn L...
is an example. After the 1939–40 World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
of the Golden Gate International Exposition
Golden Gate International Exposition
The Golden Gate International Exposition , held at San Francisco, California's Treasure Island, was a World's Fair that celebrated, among other things, the city's two newly-built bridges. The San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge was dedicated in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge was dedicated in 1937...
, the island was scheduled to be used as an airport until the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
offered to exchange Mills Field
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
on the San Francisco Peninsula
San Francisco Peninsula
The San Francisco Peninsula is a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area that separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. On its northern tip is the City and County of San Francisco. Its southern base is in Santa Clara County, including the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Mountain...
near the city of Millbrae
Millbrae, California
Millbrae is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, just west of San Francisco Bay, with San Bruno on the north and Burlingame on the south. The population was 21,532 at the 2010 census.-History:...
for the island. The City and County of San Francisco accepted the swap, and the airport was built at Mills Field.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Treasure Island became part of the Treasure Island Naval Base, and served as a training center for nuclear decontamination, an electronics and radio communications training school, and as the major Navy departure point for sailors in the Pacific.
Additionally, the Hull Maintenance Technician Training School Phase "A" was trained at Treasure Island for Nuclear, Biological, Radiological and Chemical Warefare Training as part of their phase "A" and phase "B" training.
In 1996, Treasure Island and the Presidio
Presidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
Army Post were decommissioned and opened to public control, under stipulations. Treasure Island is now part of District 6 of the City and County of San Francisco, though it is still owned by the Navy. In 1993, the naval station was selected for closure, and Navy operations ended there in 1997. Some of the property was transferred to the Federal Highway Administration, the Labor Department and the U.S. Coast Guard, and the rest is open for development.
Problems have arisen over the determination of Treasure Island's fair-market value. The city's redevelopment agency, The Treasure Island Development Authority, valued the land at $13.8 million, and the city offered the Navy $40 million for the property. Two other estimates determined the fair market value at $250 million. However, in 2008 Congress offered the publicly held property to the city of San Francisco for nothing, under Section 2711 of HR 2647, drafted by Rep. Sam Farr
Sam Farr
Samuel S. "Sam" Farr is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was elected to Congress in a 1993 special election when longtime Democratic Rep...
.
Attractions and characteristics
The island has a raised walkway, circumscribing almost its entire bulk, which is popular for recreation. Sea lions can be observed in the water from the shoreline, and construction of the new eastern span of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge can be observed from the eastern part of the island.The island used to have a gas station, but it is currently unused. It is served by a single Muni bus route, the 108 Treasure Island. It has a job training center, and is also home to San Franciscans and many college students who attend school downtown.
Building One is a Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
-styled remnant of the World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
and is one of the few buildings remaining from the exposition. Originally intended as the terminal for the airport, it housed the Treasure Island Museum from 1976 to 1997. Today it serves largely as offices for The Villages, a private apartment rental agency. The former housing for officers and their families is rented out to the general public, pending redevelopment and reconstruction of buildings on the island, slated for 2012-2014.
A substantial part of the island is undergoing environmental cleanup by the federal government and the City of San Francisco has begun to attract commercial development on the island, most notably The Winery SF, a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) winery, tasting room and event venue along the waterfront when you first enter the island. With the development of commercial enterprises like The Winery and special events, the island is beginning to develop hundreds of thousands of visitors to it each year and has become a popular place for visitors stop and take photos because of its spectacular views of the City of San Francisco.
Film studios
From the late 1980s and onward, Treasure Island's old aircraft hangars served as sound stageSound stage
In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
s used in filmmaking
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
and television productions.
In 1988, Treasure Island stood in for the Berlin airport in Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...
. Numerous pictures starring Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
were filmed on the island, including Flubber, What Dreams May Come
What Dreams May Come (film)
What Dreams May Come is a 1998 American supernatural drama film, starring Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Annabella Sciorra. The film is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson, and was directed by Vincent Ward. The title is taken from a line in Hamlet's To be, or not to...
, Patch Adams
Patch Adams (film)
Patch Adams is a 1998 comedy-drama film starring Robin Williams. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it is based on the life story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health is a Laughing Matter by Adams and Maureen Mylander. The film is generally considered a box-office success,...
and Bicentennial Man
Bicentennial Man (film)
Bicentennial Man is a 1999 American drama and science fiction film starring Robin Williams and Sam Neill. Based on the novel The Positronic Man, co-written by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg which is itself based on Asimov's original novella titled The Bicentennial Man, the plot explores issues...
. Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
's character in the thriller Copycat
Copycat (film)
Copycat is an American psychological thriller, starring Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. The film was directed by Jon Amiel, with a score composed by Christopher Young.-Plot:...
lived in an impressive private compound on the island. Also filmed there was The Parent Trap
The Parent Trap (1998 film)
The Parent Trap is a remake of the 1961 family film of the same name. It was directed and co-written by Nancy Meyers, and produced and co-written by Charles Shyer. It stars Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as a couple who divorce soon after marrying, and Lindsay Lohan in a dual role as their...
and it was used in an establishing shot of The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny is a 1952 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Herman Wouk. The novel grew out of Wouk's personal experiences aboard a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific in World War II and deals with, among other things, the moral and ethical decisions made at sea by the captains of ships...
, the trial which ostensibly takes place on Treasure Island, though this is never mentioned or referenced in the film.
Treasure Island hangars served as the stage location for the "bullet time
Bullet time
Bullet time is a special and visual effect that refers to a digitally enhanced simulation of variable-speed photography used in films, broadcast advertisements, and video games...
" visual effect in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
and as soundstages for the film adaptation of Rent
Rent (film)
Rent is a 2005 American musical drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It is an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, in turn based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème. The film depicts the lives of several Bohemians and their struggles with sexuality, cross-dressing, drugs, life...
directed by Chris Columbus
Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
.
For three years Treasure Island served as the site of Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's Battlebots
BattleBots
BattleBots is an American company that hosts robot competitions. BattleBots is also the name of the television show created from the competition footage. BattleBots Inc...
television show. The offices and penthouse apartment sets in Nash Bridges
Nash Bridges
Nash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of...
were located on the island during the show's production (1996–2001). The island currently serves as base of operations for the prototypers in the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
series Prototype This!.
One of the warehouses on Treasure Island served as a film setting for a NBC series titled Trauma
Trauma (TV series)
Trauma is a television series which originally ran on NBC from September 28, 2009 to April 28, 2010 and focused on a group of paramedics in San Francisco, California....
.
Future development
In 2005, Lennar CorporationLennar Corporation
Lennar Corporation is a Fortune 500 company based in Miami, Florida, United States, in the Fountainbleau area. It was founded in 1954.In 2008, Lennar was the United States' second largest homebuilder, constructing homes in 17 different states throughout the United States, including Arizona,...
, one of the largest developers in the United States, proposed to build a self-sustaining city on Treasure Island. According to the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, the proposal has 8,000 units of housing in several lowrise buildings, restaurants and a ferry terminal facing San Francisco. The plan also contains several midrise towers, four 40-story towers and one 60-story tower called the Sun Tower (formerly Treasure Island Tower). It also has an organic farm, a wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
, parkland and tidal marsh
Tidal marsh
A tidal marsh is a type of marsh that is found along coasts and estuaries of which the flooding characteristics are determined by the tidal movement of the adjacent estuary, sea or ocean . According to the salinity of the flooding water, freshwater, brackish and saline tidal marshes are...
es. The proposal is designed to be as car-independent as possible, with the ferry terminal and basic goods within a 10-minute walk of the residences. A toll of $5 has been proposed to deter non-residents from driving onto the island. This is a change from the original plan which was more car-dependent and had only one highrise tower. The Navy has signed two "Findings of Suitable Transfer" or FOST documents which allow development plans to continue. The development is currently set to break ground in 2012.
The San Francisco Gaelic Athletic Association has recently leased land on the island to create athletic fields which will be used mainly for Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
. The 3 fields will be home to future North American Championships as well as visits from Irish All-Star teams.
The University of California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
Golden Bears
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley...
Rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team will play their home games on Treasure Island in 2011 while California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley. Commonly known as Memorial Stadium, it is the home field for the University of California Golden Bears of the Pacific-12 Conference...
and its Student-Athlete High Performance Center is undergoing construction and retrofitting.
Hazards and risks
After the Naval Station closed in 1997, Treasure Island was opened to residential and other uses, but according to the United States Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
and the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, the groundwater and air are contaminated with asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
, plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
, radium
Radium
Radium is a chemical element with atomic number 88, represented by the symbol Ra. Radium is an almost pure-white alkaline earth metal, but it readily oxidizes on exposure to air, becoming black in color. All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226,...
and other substances which are known to cause cancer and other illnesses.
Another risk of living on Treasure Island is the high risk of liquefaction
Soil liquefaction
Soil liquefaction describes a phenomenon whereby a saturated soil substantially loses strength and stiffness in response to an applied stress, usually earthquake shaking or other sudden change in stress condition, causing it to behave like a liquid....
during an earthquake. All of Treasure Island is built on landfill
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
, and few if any of the buildings on the island were built to withstand a major earthquake, much less an earthquake magnified by liquefaction.
The Cosco Busan oil spill of 2007 happened just a few hundred yards from Treasure Island. The majority of the pollution was carried by the bay currents to other shores; however, cleanup crews spent several weeks cleaning the coast of Treasure Island as well.
Gallery
External links
- 1942 Naval Seizure controversy
- http://www.lowtek.com/nash/sfpart1/SF filming locations for Nash BridgesNash BridgesNash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of...
] - SFGov: Treasure Island Development Authority
- Yerba Buena and Treasure Island Website
- Treasure Island Community Website
- Treasure Island Music Festival
- Treasure Island Museum Association