SAN FRANCISCO, CA –Decades of industrial pollution has been cleaned from a former shipbuilding site in Bayview-Hunters Point, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department announced today. The restoration of the land, shoreline, and shallow waters of 900 Innes Ave. means construction can begin on one of the most significant park projects in the city’s history—the India Basin Waterfront Park.
To celebrate, Rec and Park will hold a free community day this Saturday, Aug. 27, with kayaking, a rock wall and other recreational activities. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at India Basin Shoreline Park (Hunters Point Boulevard and Hawes Street).
During the 18-month cleanup process, specially trained crews led by Bayview-Hunters Point’s Rubecon Builders removed contamination left over from the boat building and vessel repair industry in the soil and sediment of 900 Innes Ave. The parcel was acquired by Rec and Park in 2014 and will serve as the heart of the new park.
Abandoned and dilapidated structures were removed, while soft-bottom intertidal and subtidal habitats were restored.
“This environmental cleanup lays the foundation for a world class park in the heart of the Bayview. Not only does it restore health to the shoreline, which represents a critical tidal marsh and wildlife habitat, but it promotes a healthy future full of robust recreational opportunities for the community,” said Mayor London Breed.
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board oversaw the clean-up and water quality of the site, with support from state and federal resource agencies. Funding for the restoration came from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Finance, San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, and Measure AA, which provides funding to restore wetlands and mitigate sea level rise in the San Francisco Bay.
The once-in-a-generation environmental justice project is a partnership between the Bayview-Hunters Point community, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, the San Francisco Parks Alliance, and the Trust for Public Land.
The India Basin Shoreline Park project will combine 900 Innes Avenue with two existing parks that border it: India Basin Shoreline Park and India Basin Open Space, both of which will undergo significant improvements as part of the broader vision. Once complete, the seamless 10-acre park will include gathering docks; an accessible walkway and stairs to connect once-isolated neighborhoods with the shoreline, gardens, and natural habitats; a public plaza for fitness classes, performances and farmers markets; a lighted pedestrian and bicycle path that will close a gap in the Bay Trail, eventually linking the Embarcadero to Candlestick Point; and an ecological education area where visitors can observe tidal mudflat habitats and native birds through small paths, decks, and viewing platforms.
It is the City’s most comprehensive park investment in a historically underserved community. India Basin Shoreline Park is guided by an Equitable Development Plan (EDP), a first for San Francisco, with the goal of delivering a park designed by and for Bayview-Hunters Point.
“The cleanup of the India Basin waterfront was one of the commitments we made to the neighborhood through the EDP process. Our goal is to uplift the community beyond park boundaries and ensure they share in the benefits of this project,” said San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg.
Park construction is expected to begin next month. It includes recontouring the shoreline and planting vegetation within tidal and upland areas to help establish habitat. Crews, which will include community members who have undergone construction training through the project’s workforce development program, will build the park’s infrastructure, piers, and other structures on 900 Innes Ave.
The work includes:
- Rehabilitation of the Historic Shipwright’s Cottage, a City Landmark.
- Construction of a food pavilion, shop building, and maintenance building.
- Building two new piers, a floating dock, gangway and historic marine rails.
- Site improvements such as utility connections, earthwork, grading, structural fill, foundations, walls, concrete paving, stone and concrete stairs, wood decks, an overlook, a trellis, lighting, landscaping, signage, and more.
“The cleanup of our once-neglected shoreline is an historic moment for Bayview-Hunters Point,” said APRI San Francisco Executive Director Jacqueline Flin. “Residents have shaped this project from its conception. As designed, the community-led workforce development is providing more opportunity and we are eager to help build a world class park that reflects the culture and history of the neighborhood.”
Recruitment and job readiness trainings are underway for community members interested in working on the project through a collaboration between Rec and Park, APRI and the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development. Specialty skills trainings for the first cohort of construction workers will begin in November with the support of the Northern California Laborer’s Union, Local 261. During the four-week program, community members will learn construction fundamentals and gain industry-recognized credentials. Recruitment and trainings for a second cohort of construction workers will begin early next year. To learn more, contact evahopkinsaprisf@gmail.com.
"Having access to clean, safe outdoor space has been proven to improve the physical and mental health of nearby residents, and the environmental restoration of 900 Innes is a huge step to benefit the Bayview-Hunters Point community," said California State Director and Vice President-Pacific Region for Trust for Public Land Guillermo Rodriguez. "Ensuring this space is proactively rectifying environmental injustices from military and energy production that have isolated India Basin was a major goal of our Equitable Development Plan and is significant in terms of creating a national model for other cities to follow. We're happy to see this space enable safe and healthy waterfront access and resiliency from sea level rise.""
“The completion of the 900 Innes cleanup is an inspiring milestone on the path to returning the India Basin shoreline to San Franciscans. We're proud to join our neighbors and celebrate new access to recreation, nature, and community in Bayview-Hunters Point," said Drew Becher, CEO of the SF Parks Alliance.
Public and private dollars already contributed to the overall $200 million initiative include $54 million in state funding secured by Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember Phil Ting, Assemblymember David Chu, and Assemblymember Matt Haney; $29 million from San Francisco’s 2020 Health and Recovery Bond; and $14.3 million from two Proposition 68 grants. Philanthropic funding includes a $25 million donation from the John Pritzker Family Fund.
About India Basin Park Project:
The India Basin waterfront project is a partnership with the Bayview Hunters Point community, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, Trust for Public Land, and the San Francisco Parks Alliance. The project will combine the abandoned industrial site at 900 Innes Avenue, which the City acquired in 2014, with two existing parks that border it: India Basin Shoreline Park and India Basin Shoreline Open Space, both of which would undergo significant improvements as part of the broader vision. Once complete, the new park will include gathering docks for people to socialize along the restored shoreline; an accessible walkway and stairs to connect Bayview-Hunters Point with the expanded park, gardens and natural habitats; a public plaza for fitness classes, performances, and farmers markets; a lighted bicycle and pedestrian path that will close a gap in the Bay Trail, linking the Embarcadero to Candlestick Point; and an ecological education area where visitors can observe tidal mudflat habitats and native birds through small paths, decks and viewing platforms.
At India Basin, the Recreation and Park Department endeavors to build a park that is meaningful, equitable, and essential to the health of San Francisco’s southeast communities. The clean-up and development of this site provides a tremendous opportunity to address environmental contamination and physical blight left by historic, industrial uses, while improving overall public access, recreational programming, and providing workforce development opportunities to help address social equity issues in a historically underserved neighborhood.
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