What People Are Saying

San Francisco's bayside edge needs a change to evolve, not remain frozen in the past...Nothing about this plan was sudden or poorly understood...The city's waterfront is already shifting as new uses and imaginative uses come forward. This project can play a role in that needed changeover. It should be approved.

“The single most important and innovative aspect of this project is the opening of pedestrian access from Jackson Street to the waterfront through the creation of a ‘commons,’ which is intended to be broadly publicly accessible at all times.”

"The SFHAC believes that the 8 Washington project would bring a variety of benefits, not only to the neighborhood, but also to the people of San Francisco: increasing the street accessibility of the waterfront; improving the pedestrian friendliness of the western side of the Embarcadero; creating more and better public spaces, and especially, funding housing affordability. This project would revitalize the Embarcadero, reconnect the waterfront to its adjacent neighborhoods and bring enormous financial and aesthetic benefits to the City."

As neighbors, we are proud to support a project that has listened to our needs culminating in a project that will bring a number of significant benefits to our community. We are pleased that the proposed project will dramatically improve the pedestrian traffic in the area....We look forward to being better connected to the Embarcadero and the evolving waterfront....Given the work that this developer has already done in the neighborhood, we believe that this is the right project, the right time and the right team to complete this project and section of the waterfront.

“The residential nature of the project can only help stabilize the neighborhood’s residential character, bringing activity to the Embarcadero that currently occurs only during working hours. We see this as an important ingredient to the stability and growth of our markets on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.”

8 Washington serves San Franciscans by creatively re-using a small surface parking lot and private tennis courts to build pedestrian walkways, ground level restaurants, dense, attractive urban housing on busy transit lines, and a new public park and children's playground. San Francisco NOW supports city planning that makes our City healthier for families, especially for children and adolescents. In this area that was once home to an elevated freeway, we now have the Ferry Building, the Farmer's Market and a walkable Embarcadero. The 8 Washington project completes this renewal.

After careful review, and after seeing how the project has been revised in response to neighborhood concerns, I believe the 8 Washington project will have a positive impact in the neighborhood.  Since the Central Freeway came down, the Embarcadero has become a vibrant lifeline to the Bay.  However, residents of Chinatown have not had the access to the Embarcadero that its proximity and history would presume.  the land side of the Embarcadero, where the project is proposed, has long been under-used, access has not been user friendly. The proposed project will bring vibrancy and foot traffic to the area, enhancing the area for everyone. In addition, Chinatown residents, many living in single room occupancy hotels with few options for park and open space will find the proposed new dedicated open space and recreation amenities a godsend.  Seniors and families with children will find their way down Jackson Street and Pacific Avenue to take advantage of the open space and playground, and have easier access to the Embarcadero.

“Development of underground parking on Seawall Lot 351 will support the WETA terminal expansion project by providing replacement parking, while at the same time providing much needed revenue for the Port of San Francisco. It is truly a win-win project, benefiting both the emergency response preparedness needs of the region as well as the Port and Ferry Building patrons.” 

“We have reconnected the Bay to the Embarcadero. Now we need to reconnect the Embarcadero to the City. A thread of carefully planned, appropriately scaled and well designed buildings, parks and open spaces along the south side of the Embar­cadero will accomplish this. An Embarcadero framed with outstanding architecture and pleasing public open spaces along both sides will surely become one of the grand boulevards of the world.”

“The project will help turn Washington and Clay Streets into attractive and walkable streets connecting the Waterfront to the Financial District and Chinatown. These streets were never properly redesigned after the removal of the freeway and its attendant traffic.”

“This project provides an excellent model of generating publicaly-accessible open space that will also be maintained at no cost to the public.  This may be the only way outside of Redevelopment Area projects that we will be able to fill the gaps in our system and provide the needs of new neighborhoods as well."

“There should be a balance between public access, recreation space and a mixed-use development – which the 8 Washington Street project clearly accomplishes.  As neighbors and stakeholders, we embrace this change and look forward to the further development of this community. ….this project which will help to keep the City of San Francisco thriving and, by moving people into urban housing, keep the world around us green.”

"As a progressive City, high density housing located near jobs and mass transit has to be central to all planning decisions. 8 Washington promotes high density living while at the same time not adversely impacting the character of the neighborhood, as the adjacent buildings are considerably taller than what is proposed."

“Every project Simon Snellgrove has had anything to do with has been executed with grace and excellence. So far as I can tell, he’s kept his promises and been responsible for beautiful and appropriate design. Just have a look at the renovation at Piers 1-5 or Embarcadero One. Why should we expect any less with the project he plans for the Barbary Coast?”

“Not only would (the 8 Washington Street project) provide necessary parking for the neighborhood and our customers, I believe having additional cafes, restaurants and other retail would truly anchor this waterfront as a neighborhood showcasing some of the best that San Francisco has to offer.”

“I, along with most of the City’s top chefs, shop bi-weekly at the Farmer’s Market and have found it has become nearly impossible to buy the quantities of goods necessary to run my business due to the parking constraints. Parking is tough not only for us but for the farmers and due to the problem they are starting to go to other venues open to them selling there goods or are not coming to market at all.  8 Washington provides a permanent solution to the neighborhood’s parking dilemma and provides additional residents and retail, further adding to the vibrancy and evolution of the neighborhood.”

“I believe that the opening up of Jackson Street to the waterfront and the proposal to reconfigure the Golden Gateway Tennis and Swim Club will be a great improvement and will ensure its sustainability over the long term.”

“Some of us, like me, think that SFWP’s proposed development is an excellent, and likely negotiable basis on which to base our hopes for removing the surface parking lot which currently disgraces SWL 351, and replacing some of it with public open space in addition an enlarged tennis & swim club and upscale housing appropriate to a largely upscale neighborhood.”

“As a resident of the Golden Gateway Apartments, I have reviewed the proposal for the new development at 8 Washington Street and I find that it would greatly enhance our neighborhood. Not only would it would provide necessary parking for the neighborhood, specifically enhancing the viability of the Ferry Building merchants and the Farmer’s Market, but it would also provide additional street level retail, thus, providing a safer and more livable community. As currently configured, the private tennis club isolates the rest of the neighborhood, blocking off views and foot traffic to the waterfront.”

“By emphasizing the bicycle amenities in the design of this development, a small but significant contribution is being made to make the future of our city more sustainable and enjoyable to live in.”