San Francisco voters approved Proposition F on Tuesday, paving the way for the Pier 70 project. Proposition F was the first ballot initiative to fall under the city's new requirement, passed in a June election, that development projects proposing to exceed established height limits along the city's waterfront be approved by voters.
The Pier 70 project proposes converting part of a former shipyard near the city's Dogpatch neighborhood into a 28-acre mixed-use development with housing, parks, artists' studios, offices, and retail. Forest City is the developer.
Proposition F, supported by 72 percent of the vote, allows Forest City to continue developing a master plan with a maximum height of 90 feet, 50 feet above the existing limit on the site. (One of the old existing buildings on the site is already 90 feet tall.) Once the design is complete, and if the project is approved by the city, the height limit increase would be enacted.
"We're excited for the neighborhood and the city to take the next step towards revitalizing Pier 70," says Alexa Arena, a senior vice president for Forest City, in an emailed statement. "It's a clear signal from voters about the need for more housing, jobs and parks, and for preserving San Francisco history."
The project will still need to be reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act, as well as approved by various city agencies. According to a timeline on the project's website, the developers plan to begin construction in 2017.
