What It Took to Finally Build Housing on Some of the Nation’s Most in-Demand Land
SAN FRANCISCO - In one of the nation’s most extraordinarily housing-constrained cities, where demand keeps pushing rents and sales prices to dizzyingly higher levels, people are finally moving into new apartments and condominiums on a 576-acre patch of land the U.S. Navy abandoned nearly 30 years ago.
San Francisco, a city notorious for its housing shortage, has finally begun constructing new apartments and condominiums on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, two acres that the U.S. Navy abandoned nearly three decades ago. These islands, about an eight-minute ferry ride from the mainland, offer significant potential for housing but have been slow to develop due to a complex web of legal battles, public opposition, and conflicting values.
Created in 1939 to host the World's Fair, Treasure Island was acquired by the Navy in World War II and used for training until 1997. Though it was initially considered for housing development almost immediately after the Navy's departure, it took more than two and a half decades for the first new homes to be completed. Today, eight new buildings totaling approximately 1,000 apartments and condos have been constructed on the islands, with plans to add another 7,000 units and eventually accommodate about 18,000 people.
Currently, the islands house more than 1,000 residents, with some living in luxurious rentals and others in affordable buildings for veterans. Nathan Williams, who moved to Treasure Island last year, enjoys the island's natural beauty and quiet surroundings. Like many others, Williams aspires to see more businesses open to complement the limited dining options on the island.
Christopher Meany, a lead developer of the island, explains that the slow pace of development is typical in California due to extensive planning and numerous public meetings. However, this lengthy process has been hindered by lawsuits, such as the one led by former city Board of Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who initially focused on environmental concerns but later criticized the developer's reluctance to allocate sufficient affordable housing units.
Despite the delays, the developers aim to complete the 7,000-unit plan by 2040, though many believe the islands could support far more housing given their potential.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
