IN PROGRESS: Transbay Transit Center

[yekaterinab]

• 2,600 new housing units (public land)

• 3,000,000 sf office (public land)

• 3,750 new housing units (private and public land)

• 6,500,000 sf office (private and public land)

• 1,750 new hote rooms (private and public land)

PROJECT STATUS UPDATES

(12/10/08)

[yekaterinab]

Here are my notes from the Status update at SPUR today...

1. they are about a month away from completing the schematics

2. demolition of the temporary terminal could begin as soon as July 2009

3. overall project status: ready to begin construction in the first quarter of 2010

4. $1.2billion investment (would be closer to $1.7billion if they get the stimulus funding they applied for)

5. the building is a solid LEED Silver, but it's almost LEED Gold

6. the terminal building is almost entirely naturally ventilated

7. there has been some debate recently about their original plan, which only ran about four trains an hour, and that it wouldn't be enough to satisfy commuter needs, so they have been working to try to accomodate 8 trains an hour with an additional 4 overflow trains

8. the site can handle about 8,000 passengers per hour

9. the upper level of the structure is a 5.4 acre urban park. it is much more that just a green roof

10. the park is key to the identity of the building and it can handle a capacity of about 7600 people per hour

11. the roof is a fully functioning urban park, with sections dedicated to passive space, as well as an amphitheater and scattered retail

12. the design of the project is drastically different than most transit stations, which tend to be very dark

13. even the underpasses are transparent

14. the retail and park components will help bring more traffic to the building during the day

15. they are working to make the site more pedestrian and bicyclist friendly - from widening staircasees to possibly reversing traffic on one of the parallel streets to the main entrance, in order to enhance pedestrian safety to and from the transit center

Here are some updates on the Transbay Tower...

• close to starting its entitlement process

• they are working with changing the height to meet zoning requirements

• it's not going to be taller than 1,000 feet, and it will not be less than 600 feet

[The Voice of Reason]

Very nice. my biggest problem with this project has been the height.

I take issue with the idea that every major city needs buildings 1000' tall. its like mayors city planners, whatever all have some kind of penis envy.

I like a nice tall building if it is appropriate. part of what has always attracted me to San Francisco and for that matter Boston is the scale. Boston has a couple screw ups. The prudential center first and foremost!!! height out of scale of the city. John Handcock is more forgivable due to its design, but its still a scale problem. but it doesnt really hurt boston because the back bay is so far from downtown that downtown still 100% rocks.

Same with SF. it is an asthetic city because it never tried to be New York or Chicago. it has incredible density it has asthetic buildings (transamerica) it has scale.

I think we can attribute this to the earthquakers keeping things a little shorter, and honestly I am fine with that. I trust engineers, so I know those buildings in Hongkong are safe, but I would still rather this building be 600' than 1000'

speaking of Hongkong, the rendering always make me think of that super out of place building in kowloon or however you spell it.

[yekaterinab]

TIMELINE

2012-2019

Project Construction - Phase II, Downtown Rail Extension

2008-2014

Project Construction - Phase I, Temporary Terminal and Transit Center Building

2008-2012

Transit Center Architecture and Engineering Design

Dec. 13, 2007

California Transportation Commission approves transfer of State land parcels to TJPA, City of San Francisco, and SF Redevelopment Agency

Sept. 20, 2007

Winner of Design & Development Competition chosen: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and Hines

Nov. 1, 2006

Design & Development Competition Launched

June 2, 2006

TJPA Board Adopts Recommended Implementation Strategy

January 2006

TJPA becomes eligible Federal grant recipient

August 2005

The Transbay Transit Center/Caltrain Extension Project receives $55 million in federal funding from the long-awaited Federal surface transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU)

June 21, 2005

Board of Supervisors adopts Transbay Redevelopment Plan

February 2005

Preliminary Engineering Work Begins

Feb. 8, 2005

Federal Transit Administration issues Record of Decision (ROD), confirming that the Transbay Terminal Project has satisfied all of the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and completing the extensive federal environmental review process

Jan. 25, 2005

Redevelopment Agency adopts Transbay Redevelopment Plan

June 15, 2004

San Francisco Board of Supervisors certifies FEIR/EIS

April 2004

Design for Development Plan receives an Urban Design Award from the American Institute of Architects

[yekaterinab]

http://vimeo.com/3589710?pg=embed&sec=

http://vimeo.com/3021119?pg=embed&sec=

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBcL7KWa4wI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2TVZsmiG_c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1nKif95MZg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RIlbYba4sM