that's red. that is the location of reds which is one of the structures on the site. and there's been another blue square off to the left that is the water mark residences that are part of the adjoining sites here and we're trying to take care of their interests as we develop the project further. you maybe have seen some images of this site in the past. this is one of the views taken from a newspaper article showing a earlier understanding of what might be built here and essentially the arena was placed in the center of the site. maximizing large areas of open space towards the east side. the challenge with such a design is that it blocks views rather tremendously from many of the surrounding areas and certainly changes the context of the waterfront that people have become accustomed to here. our project has been focused on looking at not only the private views, but also the public views in and around the site. these are some of the view corridors that we studied from the existing buildings. and you can see here pushing

them all together sort of basic understanding of what impacts the arena and the largest mass of the arena would have on these surroundings. there is an area that is more or less open out towards the edge. and we found that by placing a building there, it would also diminish the impact of views and experience along the embarcadaro. so, this is where the pier is based centrally as you might have seen it in the past. this is moving it out and rotating it slightly so it falls into a zone which we feel has least impact more towards the east than originally anticipated. now, there are a number of other concerns about these view corridor studies of seawall. i'd like to address those in a moment. for the meantime i'd like to say these corridor studies are important to the arena itself. there is a very large structure and will have certainly the most impact on the

surroundings, more than the structures that are anticipated in building here. >> before you move on, if i can ask the question, because it's come up with some of the our residents [speaker not understood]. can you go over which sites you've examined and how you chose those sites? clearly the first one is the water mark, but if you could -- [multiple voices] >> yes. each of those sort of orange blocks that you see filled out are the immediate adjacent sites as well as the public view spaces. so, we have two sets on the top which are on bryant street. those are immediately adjacent to the site and have open views currently. then just to the south are the buildings along beale street and then in the middle is the water mark. then the large swath that runs really north-south is basically a zone that is the public space related to the embarcadaro as you move up and down. and you'll see this view study again in a moment related specifically to the seawall

site. this right now is just focusing on the mass of the arena, which is quite a substantial building. and, so, it's the first step we took. >> thank you. >> and as we move further you'll see the basic design as has been developed until the site plan and an arrangement for the structures. you'll see the arena placed far to the east as possible, removing its mass from the embarcadaro, and open space plaza in between and just to the west of the arena and the multi-purpose facility that connects to a retail venue which is along the embarcadaro proper. and we'll talk more about that retail structure in a moment. then across the street is a seawall site which has currently a low level podium, basically in the range of the podiums that exist today. and then some more dense structures slightly taller or taller atop that podium. and we'll address that again in just a moment. one of the views of the site

from the distance shows how the arena and the multi-purpose venue itself will reach out into the water and create an interesting focal point along this portion of the waterfront that is essentially today an open space in between giants stadium and the financial district and the bay bridge itself. one of the other views, studies that we did was simply from public spaces. so, this is a view from an area that is essentially where main street reaches down to bryant street. today that's a lesser known street. but in the future when transbay terminal is built, one will imagine that street will be more pedestrianized than it is today. and also we'll see more traffic moving, pedestrian traffic moving down this corridor. so, we wanted to make that view and the view between pier 28 and pier 30 a unique view and we wanted to preserve the types of finger pier type spaceses in this particular slot. so, the buildings are of

similar height along that edge. additionally as you move from main street proper looking out as you come down the hill, you know that's a very, very steep hill right there. so, if you just look on the map and you see it as flat, you think, well, you can never really see anything anyway. in fact, it's quite a steep hill. as you're coming down the hill you will have views from main street out over the water that we wanted to protect. and once again, moving the arena and multi-purpose facility to the east allowed us to do that. and also you'll see our current designs for the seawall side allows us to do that. from the embarcadaro proper, we're trying to preserve as much as possible the wide view out to the waterfront. it's not perpendicular to the waterfront as it is today. we're preserving that corner with low rise, structure is low, that will allow passersby to see out to the bay. finally, really interesting view that we're working with as you move north from giants stadium and from areas south of

south beach, you'll be looking towards the bay bridge pier. this is one of the few locations where the bay bridge first pier is really visible and we wanted to highlight that in the new design. here is the first sketch that we have of the concept, sort of the arena to the east. retail low rise to the left. enormous space, this wonderful space that frames the view of this pier, which is really one of the most dramatic components of this part of the city and certainly of the neighborhood here. these are some later sketch renderings that we've made. these are very early. i did want to mention that we have not yet really resolved the facades and the finishes yet. it's still too early. buts as will be noted in a moment, we are looking at transparent grass facades for the arena so people can see in and out of the activities there as they move along the waterfront. * glass this is moving closer. you can see this is from the new park looking towards the piers and the bridge. and once again, by framing this

view, you're really characterizing the drama of this unique spot in the city. this is a later sketch. all of these are still really sketches from where we had hoped and are hoping to provide some direct access to the waterfront for human-powered boating as well as other marine activities as you'll see also in just a moment. this is a detail of the site plan. and just to mention to you, one of the key features here, this plaza that's in between the arena and the retail is actually raised so you'll see a series of ramps and steps leading up to that. and that brings you up to the level of the entrance into the arena and allows for views of the harbor front in a unique way slightly above street level because we want people to be able to see the water from different levels, different perspectives which we think will be exciting. this is a very draft plan of the ground level. one of the things that we'd like to point out is that the northeast corner, you see that sort of empty blue square,

that's a multi-use community facility as well as a basketball practice facility that can be used at different times for different purposes on that corner. we've also pulled the building back from the corner to allow for more open space along the edges of the water so people can stop there and enjoy the views and activities along the waterfront directly. we've pulled all of the support facilities into the arena as far into the core as we can. if you see there is a gray spot in the middle right next to the blue with a bunch of parks in it, that's where the loading dock s. so, we've pulled the loading dock deep into the project so it will have as little impact on the surroundings as possible. the parking area that we are obliged to provide is also buried deep in the project so it's underneath this raised plaza and the raised plaza helps camouflage the sound and site of the parking to the neighborhood and the yellow off to the left there is the retail

component. and just to the south you'll see an open park, low-rise access both to the arena and to the retail establishment. it's down at street level. inside the arena, as i mentioned earlier, we're promoting the use of glass at all the public areas as much as possible so that while you're in the large public concourses that lead to the seating areas, you'll be able to look out over the harbor and have these kind of amazing views of the city. likewise, you'll be able to see back into the arena when there are activities at night. we are looking to provide an open, sort of openly publicly accessible outdoor ramp that leads up to the side of the building that gives unique views of the harbor that cannot be found really anywhere else in the city. and the possibility we hope to plan for an observation deck related to this ramp itself. the retail functions of the site are placed in a low-rise structures that are very much

in the quality and appearance, esthetic of the original structures along the piers. so, they're about 60 feet high and they have the shed-like appearance that we're still developing. they'll have direct access from the embarcadaro. this is a view showing those retail facilities in relation to nearby pier 28. you'll see they're about the same height. so, there is no sort of wall or tower kind of structure on the west side of the embarcadaro. it's simply continuing the esthetic and mass of the existing facilities. >> mr. dikers, can we just ask you about those structures? >> sure. >> are they like shopping mall type retail, or what would be the purpose of those sheds? >> there's a number of functions that are being considered, certainly a range of functions all the way from traditional coffee shops, restaurants and things that the community might be able to use, all the way to larger venues that might house entertainment

related to late night activities and so forth. but also shopping, food, and other kinds of facilities. they were not large footprint. they're designed to take regular retail modules. >> okay. and then on the exterior -- building's exterior, you mentioned an open air walkway. and in earlier reports the examiner had mentioned besides the observation deck a possible roof-top terrace. what are the plans for that? >> that's under consideration very seriously at the moment. but, of course, we are still working through cost mott hethxv. but the goal is to provide that kind of open access to the edges of the building. * models. we do need facilities to get people out of the building so the goal is to try to combine those with open access when there is not a venue in the facility operating. the seawall side has been of tremendous concern for many people. we understand that. i'm going to move very quickly. we're almost finished. the idea here is to focus now

more attention on this site. tremendous amount of energy has been spent on the pier sites. just to show you what is sort of the general zoning restrictions on this site, you can build up to about 100 feet high with relatively small tower-type footprints above a podium. this allows itself to about 600,000 square feet of area that we could build up to. but we didn't find this very appealing. we found it very problematic. so, we are so far exploring designs that have about 100,000 square feet less than what might be allowable. we are also minimizing the height of the podium down from, it could be about 100 feet down to around 50 feet. and we're trying to compress the rest of the activities that are necessary for the site to create the appropriate cost model into a smaller footprint. some people calm them towers, but they're relatively low and certainly lower than the adjacent structure that are nearby, for example, the water

mark. we understand the concerns and we're trying to work through that. there is a workshop tomorrow night. we're going to get feedback on. this we're going to try and work with that feedback to see if we can find a design that will be appropriate to those people that live nearby. but we do like the proposal that we've created primarily because it does open up a number of views. and if you can see here on the north side of the site, we've cutback the footprint so that the area at main street and bryant is an open space that allows for views and movement across the site without interfering with the facility itself. now, there are a number of use studies we're doing and i know people might say, well, you know, you already showed us one view study that puts the triangle of buildable space way out to the east. well, we can't very well build out to the east. on the seawall site we pushed the higher impact facility, these two 100, 150-foot high towers as far away from the center of the site a possible

to promote a large range or large spectrum of views from the surrounding. we're still working on the exact placement of that. or if that's really the appropriate design, but this is just to show you where we are that we're taking these concerns to heart. so, here's a prospective sketch which really is nice i think to show the impact of the buildings we're creating. in the center there is the water mark, which is the only adjacent building directly on the site. and to either side of it, proposed blocks, proposed residential hotel towers. they're significantly lower, sit atop a podium. take out the podium you see the red line points out the height of the surrounding neighborhood. you're given a fairly wide berth of view by pushing these to the side. at least that was our intent, to create as much openness as possible. we are nearly done. this is a view from the water mark building looking out across the site. because the arena has been

pushed far away, its impact of obscuring the horizon line is lessened. and here is generally the red line shows the outline of the existing pier front as it is today. these are just some outdoor uses we're planning for the open space. the open space is about 7 acres. to put that in context, the amount of open space being provided by this project that is publicly financed is about four union squares in size. so, if you open the union square, you stick four of those next to each other, that's how much open space is being provided. all around the waterfront, every edge of the pier will be provided direct maritime use, fire boats, ferry, a docking facility, the water taxi, and human-powered launch, craft launch area to the south. we are situated in a very interesting location. in some ways, more integrated to public transport than even at&t park. as the transbay terminal is finished, you'll see here that

it's equidistant to many of the facilities being planned there. about seven ways to get to the site. * in addition to cars which are obviously are hoping will not occur. there are a number of public transpour venues we are designing this project around. we are providing bicycle routes and pedestrian routes entirely around the perimeter of the building. open access to the core of the pier. exit ways that distribute people over a wide range of areas after an event occurs. and as you can see here, we're pulling the entries and exits very far back from the embarcadaro which many people are aware of at&t park today all the exits and entrance is right off the street, this will create a different kind of atmosphere where people can gather. and it is actually a much smaller venue. we hope the impact will be diminished. although today there are no cars on the site. it has historically parked up to 1500 cars and we're trying to reduce that number to about 6 30. and we're working with some of

the key transportation figures here, as peter mentioned earlier, to design some of the complex crossings where bicycles, cars, and pedestrians will cross at the northeast corner. so, we're opening up those zones and creating a controlled and managed traffic plan for that key portion of the site. and i just want to conclude by saying one sentence as i'm at the end here. we very much appreciate and are focused on the fears and concerns of the neighborhood. i myself live in an urban waterfront community in new york city that is undergoing significant development. so, i have all of the same concerns in the area where i live and i take them very seriously and so do we all. but we are trying to create a situation that will alleviate those fears and concerns and at the same time provide economic development and job growth for the neighborhood for the city and the region. we're focused on making this a place where families and other people of the neighborhood and the city can enjoy themselves.

and the space that is today a surface parking lot of about three acres in a degrading concrete pier. this is something we all feel we can only improve the quality of life, the property and social values of the neighborhood as we take the concerns of those nearby to heart. thank you very much. >> thank you, mr. dikers. i actually just had a couple of comments, more comments than questions. i just want to express -- by the way, thank you so much for the presentation. the design is beautiful, and i thank the comments and feedback that we got. there is general consensus that it was presented to the neighborhood, it was quite stunning. but, you know, as we've heard some of the concerns from the neighborhood -- and i just a kind of want to put it out there, when we're introducing a project, we often kind of put out a design of all the bells and whistles. and so the concern is we promise [speaker not understood] and when the actual

project comes forward, real costs come into play and start to whittle our way at the positive aspects of the plan about the neighborhood dikes. i want to, as we move forward, i want to have a realistic presentation as possible to the neighborhood so that what actually gets built on that site, if it gets approved, is what we actually show to the neighborhood. so, i just want to bring that up. around the open space, i think the open space is incredible. i think it could actually increase public access to the waterfront which i think is the goal of the project. i love the transparency. i love that people can use the arena even if they're not going to a game or an event. it is actually quite large. i remember when walking to the press conference walking from embarcadaro all the way to the edge of the site, i didn't realize how long that walk would be in my heels, actually. so, it is a very large site and i think there's a lot we can do with it. i just want to make sure that we create open space that's usable because sometimes we create open space and the public doesn't utilize it. and then it becomes more of an

issue and concern than a benefit. and one thing that i -- you know, we talked about that i liked was even more kind of recreational spaces and being that it could be a basketball arena and having outdoor basketball courts is something we would see the neighborhood utilize. basketball courts are popular in all of our neighborhoods. i notice when i pass by them they're used in all hours. it might be a fitting parallel given what's happening. i think a lot of our youth would be excite today play basketball outside by the arena as well. i know wind is a concern, that's come up in the design. i've seen some sheltering. for it to be usable, we want to ensure that we look at wind. and another issue that i've heard is in how we designate rules for privately owned public spaces pudx. people have brought up to me, can we do there what we do at dolores park? i'm not advocating we do that,

but i think a community process with the neighborhood about how we manage that privately owned open space would be very important. * puds so the neighborhood feels they have input in terms of how far we utilize that open space. last, in if -- terms of the retail, i appreciate the warriors said they wanted [speaker not understood]. i think that shows a commitment both to the history and also to supporting small businesses in the neighborhood so they also benefit from this project and aren't pushed aside in order to create the best project for the project sponsor as possible. i think in terms of the access to the retail, we want to make sure that there is as much access because it seems to be on the second floor and i just want to make sure there is as much interplay with the ground level and the retail as possible so we're creating more pedestrian flow that creates skipping safety in the neighborhood during the daytime. and, so, last, i think i brought this up, i have

concerns about public parking in the neighborhood. i'm not sure what would be better, less public parking or more public parking. we want to make sure we're addressing congestion. so, i just hope that we kind of adequately study that as we move forward. whatever we can do to reduce congestion in the neighborhood and not making a parking lot i think would be the number one priority of the neighborhood. the last question that i have is not necessarily for mr. dikers, but actually for the city. this is something that's come up. this is a beautiful design. it's really clear why this would be an iconic location for the warriors given its proximity to the bay bridge and also proximity both to bart, the new transbay terminal, and caltrain. the one question that comes up often at our neighborhood is how thoroughly do we explore other sites? and, so, i don't know if this is a question for mr. rich or

ms. matts. that is something i think has come up a lot in neighborhood discussion. >> ken rich interest again from oewd. the site has been the focus because of the many very key advantages it offers and also as we hope have been devon straighting trying to work on some of the challenges as well to take advantage of those, the advantages of the site. the environmental process, which is just able to start because -- well, the action you will hopefully take at the full board tomorrow, requires us to examine at least one, if not more than one, alternative site required by the ceqa under state law is done. that alternative site must be something that has fewer impacts than the proposed sites. so, that will have to happen. i think early -- that will be identified and worked into the environmental process. >> and i just want to say, i think this is a great potential site. of course, it comes with its challenges given the density of

a residential neighborhood that's been built up over the last ten years. i hope through the eir process we do more than give the alternative locations lip service that we truly explore them so that members of the public feel that we really give that an adequate look. thank you. >> should i respond in any way? i can only just say a few things very quickly. >> sure. >> retail i thought was one of the key ones. if you look at the design, you'll see that each of the modules of the retail is set up like a pier. it's about the same width as one of the finger piers, 28. if you go through pier 28 going through the central opening, you'll see how big that really s. you can imagine retail on either side of it, just like a pier. it's only about one-third the depth of a pier. so, as you move through the retail, you move through retail on either side and up onto the next terrace. and that terrace above also leads in the same retail.

it's like a split level kind of design where there is a tremendous amount of access all along the embarcadaro. that is the proposal right now. so, we're hoping to enliven the embarcadaro with that design. the other thing i wanted to mention very quickly was in terms of climate and outdoor space. we are working with landscape features as well as physical architectural features to diminish the impact of wind on the raised plaza and, of course, the arena itself will create turbulence that we have to study and understand. while this is something we're very much accustomed to and will be part of the process, design process in the future. >> thank you, mr. dikers. >> i like how everything builds around that red java house on the northwestern corner. >> they have great breakfast sandwiches. >> and i like the bicycle routes around the structure. that sounds wonderful. i was going to say i agree with

supervisor kim on making sure that open space is accessible for the public. i'm just wondering, is there any consideration of play grounds or family type space? i know there is a kayak area but i'm wondering kind of in consideration of families that live in the area if there is any building of the open space for that kind of recreational use. and then my last question is you mentioned four union squares in size. that's for the total 7 acres of open space. >> yes. >> not the full project. >> the four union squares is the size of the pier. and we have about two acres, a little over two acres of open space -- sorry, four union squares is the size of the pier and two union squares are the amount of open space. >> okay. >> i probably made an error when i spoke. >> and, mr. dikers, what about consideration of family use for the open space? >> yes, it's an interesting question because for many years, certainly in the '70s

and '80s it was considered important to specifically design social functions into space. so, you'd go to a courtyard and you'd see like a little amphitheater and that was for a certain kind of thing. we found over the years making design specific doesn't promote use. instead, what you do is you provide a variation of spaces that can be used and occupied in different ways by different people at different times. so, our proposal currently shows a very wide range of types in space. some have steps that lead to them. some are soft, some are hard, some are high, some are low, some are narrow. each of those little places can be occupied in a different way. we haven't put in any sand pits or anything like that if that's what you're asking. >> one would be petco park in san diego that has a children's playground area with direct access to view the padres playing, i guess. >> right. >> there is no consideration of those kinds of things. >> along the south edge as i mentioned earlier, there is a

lower -- all of the south edge connects directly to brandon street wharf project which has soft scape related to t. so, in fact, we're designing a park-like access there i suppose you could say is softer than concrete or some other kind of surface that you could play in or gather in if you're younger. >> thank you very much for your time. >> thank you. * >> supervisors, noe we've been running late. i want to give a quick minute to representatives from the [speaker not understood] and office of disanalyst to speak briefly on their involvement in the project with your permission. >> thank you. good afternoon, supervisors. i had it all prepared but i'll keep it brief. i'm assistant deputy chief ken lombardy [speaker not understood]. along with that i'm in charge of our earthquake safety emergency response bond which the voters of san francisco

passed in 2010, recognizing that the fire department had many aging buildings and facilities that were not seismically safe. and, so, over the past two years the fire department has identified several properties and one of those properties is pier 22-1/2 where we currently have our station 35 which also mans two fire boats which is basically a block away from this facility. we have had this facility on our radar to redo and we're planning on redoing it. and along with doing that, we would be redoing the piers out the back to accommodate also not only our two fire boats but a third fire boat that we have coming this fall. while doing this research we were approached about the i warriors and been asked if we would want to be part of this other project here at 30-32. there's many benefits to this. easily, 30-32 is a bigger project. could easily house the three fire boats. so, we would not have to rebuild the piers out the back. e