Awards for Excellence: 2004 Finalist

The Ferry Building
San Francisco, California

A four-year, $110 million historic rehabilitation and revitalization project has restored the elegant form and function of San Francisco’s 1898 beaux arts Ferry Building, making the venerable waterfront icon a beacon of pride once again. The project includes 175,000 square feet (16,258 square meters) of second- and third-floor Class A office space and 65,000 square feet (6,039 square meters) of ground-floor retail space, including a popular Bay Area organic farmers market, open-air cafés, and restaurants. The building served as San Francisco’s primary point of arrival and departure from the time it was built until the Golden Gate and Bay bridges opened in the late 1930s. Its rehabilitation is part of the city’s plan to reenergize the waterfront and support its economic revitalization.

This restoration is the result of an unprecedented public/private collaboration, led by the Port of San Francisco and Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. A nearly ten-year public input and review process generated a groundswell of public participation and support from an important coalition of public stakeholders. The innovative design concept centers on a public market that is supported, in part, by office space on the floors above. The city selected this concept because it allowed for the most entrepreneurial uses, generated the greatest positive impact, and was the only proposal to envision a complete restoration of the building’s historic, 660-foot-long (201-meter-long) passenger concourse—“the Nave.” Because the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also is designated as a historic landmark by the city, the development team had to give top priority to the preservation of the building’s original architecture.

“The renewal of the Ferry Building has reconnected the city’s waterfront to downtown San Francisco, and to the northern and southern ends of the waterfront, drawing the public to a vibrant destination,” says Robert J. Winter, executive vice president for development and portfolio management, Equity Office Properties Trust. “The completion of the Ferry Building rehabilitation fulfills one of the city’s highest priorities—to restore the landmark to its historic role as a bustling transportation hub and an elegant centerpiece of the waterfront. In addition, the building serves San Francisco as a catalyst for the continued revitalization of the waterfront and the city.”

Adds Winter, “The Ferry Building rehabilitation gave us the opportunity to restore a crown jewel of San Francisco, both historically and functionally. Because we paid great respect to the details of the original design, we’ve been able to restore the Ferry Building to its original grandeur and ‘give it back’ to the city as one of its most cherished landmarks. We didn’t just rebuild the inside, we restored the building’s bustling activity by opening up the Nave and anchoring the best of San Francisco’s artisanal-themed food purveyors along a retail marketplace that is dedicated to nurturing the local food community. We also were able to create two floors of unequaled Class A office space, which provides an extraordinary home to some of the city’s most respected businesses. We’re pleased that we could be the principal investor dedicated to bringing the full vision of the restoration to fruition.”

Development Team

Owner
Port of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
www.sfport.com

Developers
Equity Office Properties Trust
San Francisco, California
www.equityoffice.com

Chris Meany
San Francisco, California

Primus Infrastructure Company, LLC
San Francisco, California
www.primus1.com

Project Architect
SMWM
San Francisco, California
www.smwm.com

Retail Architect
Baldauf Catton von Eckartsberg Architects
San Francisco, California
www.bcvarch.com

Preservation Architect
Page & Turnbull
San Francisco, California
www.page-turnbull.com

Project Data

Web Site: www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com; www.ferryplazafarmersmarket.com; www.equityoffice.com/properties_space/building.aspx?buildingId=2787

Site Area: 2.65 acres (1.07 hectares)

Gross Building Area: 240,000 square feet (22,296 square meters)

Land Uses: 175,000 square feet (16,258 square meters) of Class A office space and 65,000 square feet (6,039 square meters) of retail space

Completion Date: March 2003