Ferry Building Area, San Francisco, CA

This project, located at the foot of Market Street and the Embarcadero, is one of the most significant landmark settings within San Francisco. ROMA was commissioned by the Port and City and worked with private developers to prepare a feasibility study for revitalization and reuse of the historic Ferry Building, to plan for adjacent pedestrian spaces, and to prepare the public space design of parks, plazas, promenades, transit and bicycle improvements within the area. The Mid-Embarcadero area includes several acres of urban waterfront land that was liberated by the demolition of the damaged Embarcadero Freeway following the Loma Prieta Earthquake. ROMA designed a major civic plaza (Harry Bridges Plaza) in front of the landmark Ferry Building that has become an important place of gathering for the city as a whole and the site of major city celebrations. A new streetcar stop was established in the plaza along with the extension of other transit services closer to the waterfront, linking to expanded ferry services. In addition, the work involved the redesign of the edges of Justin Herman Plaza at the foot of the Embarcadero Center to reorient this important public space to the bay and to more closely integrate with the other open spaces planned for the area. Promenades were built on the inland and waterside of the Ferry Building, ferry terminals were established on either side of the Ferry Building, and the parks extended inland into the downtown, including the green space to the south of Market Street and the creation of Sue Bierman Park and the children’s playground to the north of Justin Herman Plaza.