San Francisco Citizen

All right, what most people consider Embarcadero Center are the taller buildings all in a row, from left to right, EC1, EC2, EC3, and EC4.

And then the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero is considered Embarcadero Center 5. (The boxy thing on top used to be a revolving restaurant, but, sadly, it don’t revolve no mo.)

And then, along came Embarcadero West (275 Battery), the black sheep of the family, as seen on the left:

Click to expand

(I guess they threw in short, short 301 Battery for completeness, but it’s been there for a good long time so it doesn’t belong in here.)

Now you better know Embarcadero Center.

All the deets:

“By 1862, this area of moored ships was nicknamed the Barbary Coast and had become a raucous district of prostitution, dance halls and thievery. The Coast continued to flourish until 1911, when Mayor James Rolph initiated a clean-up. Shut down for good in the early 1920′s, the area became San Francisco’s Produce District. A forerunner of the weekend Farmer’s Market that exists near Embarcadero Center today, the area’s narrow streets were lined with vendors selling fruits and vegetables. 

When urban renewal laws took hold in San Francisco in the 1950′s, city planner M. Justin Herman spearheaded a plan to redevelop the site where Embarcadero Center now stands into a mixed-use “city within a city.” David Rockefeller, John Portman, and Trammel-Crow submitted the winning proposal to develop the 8.5 acre site. 

Embarcadero Center’s four office towers were built in phases, beginning in 1968 and ending in 1983. The office towers, which have a daily population of 16,000, quickly became the corporate headquarters for many major companies. 

Further expansion occurred during the mid-1980′s when commercial property became available directly west of the complex. The project was expanded to include Embarcadero Center West located at 275 Battery Street. 

The Embarcadero Roadway Project has led to an entire renewal of the Downtown Waterfront District that is ensuring a bright future for Embarcadero Center. The Center is just steps away from the 42,000-seat AT&T Park, home to the San Francisco Giants baseball team, which opened in April 2000. The waterfront is also the scene of the new Muni F-Line transportation system featuring historic streetcars from around the world. Future projects include a cruise ship terminal and dozens of new restaurants, condominiums, hotels, and entertainment attractions. 

Embarcadero Center successfully combines a desirable office address with over 120 quality shops and restaurants. Stores range from local, independent retailers to names that are internationally recognized, while restaurants provide a diversity of cuisine and dining styles. The Embarcadero Center Cinema is a leading exhibitor of first-run art, foreign language and special interest films. The Center is also the site of frequent special events that include wine and music festivals, art exhibits, garden shows, summer Total Wellness fair and the Embarcadero Center holiday ice rink.”