Pier 70 Development Concept

Pier 70 is one of the most significant industrial historic sites in California. Once home to Union Iron Works, and later Bethlehem Steel, Pier 70 was an important shipbuilding yard, dating back as the late 19th Century.

It played an important role in both World Wars, manufacturing and repairing ships to be used in the war efforts. During the later half of the 20th Century, much of the shipyard fell into disrepair, though it continues to be occupied by an active drydock.

The site presents a host of challenges. Pier 70 will need extensive remediation after generations of environmental pollution. The site is adjacent to one of the largest working drydocks in the North America, making certain land uses unreasonable. Most of the historic structures are highly deteriorated and stand in urgent need of costly retrofitting in order to survive for the next generation to enjoy. Despite these challenges, Pier 70 is also full of opportunities. A well-crafted development plan will serve the multiple goals of preserving and finding new uses for the existing historic structures, while also bringing new jobs to the area and dramatically expanding publicly-accessible open space.

Resulting from UC Berkeley’s Advanced Urban Design studio, taught by Professor Peter Bosselmann, the program proposes a mixed use development featuring green industrial development, civic spaces, the adaptive reuse of historic buildings and limited housing. The historic pattern of the railroad yard, which once were used to load and unload shipbuilding materials, now becomes the main pedestrian connection between Irish Hill and the San Francisco Bay. The beautiful administrative offices of Bethlehem Steel will be remade as mixed-used commercial and office centers, near a new affordable housing development.
 
 

Project partner: Nicole Horn