Potrero Power Station
Renderings: Steelblue

Potrero Power Station

San Francisco, California
Waterfront Revival

We were selected as master planners for this emerging neighborhood because of our reputation for breathing new life into San Francisco’s waterfront. The client valued our collaborative work experience with the city and community, as well as our track record for creating resilient maritime destinations.

Our plan includes more than six acres of parks and multiple pedestrian paths, as well as 2,600 mixed-use and mixed-income units. Existing industrial structures will be adapted for public access, entertainment, and business. Most notably, the 130-foot steel Unit 3 Power Station will be converted into a boutique hotel.

Our planning process features quarterly community workshops, monthly site tours, and weekly “developer office hours.” It’s lauded by the neighborhood and the San Francisco Planning Commission as a model for community engagement and transparency, which in turn allows us to proceed on a two-year schedule—a much faster pace than the typical 10 years it takes for projects of this scale.

The Stack anchors the neighborhood park and the community's larger footprint.
Renderings produced by Steelblue
History

The site will be bookended by two power stations—one built in 1889, the other in 1964. A 300-foot-tall stack will remain as an icon on the waterfront and a reminder of the new neighborhood’s rich history. In a complete turnaround, the site will be transformed from a polluting power plant to a sustainable, resilient neighborhood that embraces wellness.

Renderings produced by Steelblue
“The perception of what’s out there has really changed from an industrial wasteland where no one wants to be to the next hot neighborhood of San Francisco.”

– Lou Vasquez, Build

An urban neighborhood rises.
Renderings produced by Steelblue
Accessible waterfront space for an active public.
Renderings produced by Steelblue
Community Engagement

The process of developing the plan brings more than 2,500 people to the site for food and art festivals, live performances, and temporary light art installations.

Project Team

Geeti Silwal
People
Geeti Silwal
Karen Alschuler
People
Karen Alschuler