“CONCEPTS ABOUND FOR RE-USE OF PRESIDIO’S FORMER COMMISSARY BUILDING - WIDE RANGE OF PROPOSALS TO BE CONSIDERED
Presidio of San Francisco (March 5, 2013) – The Presidio Trust announced today that it has received 16 concept proposals for repurposing a stunning site on Crissy Field in the Presidio of San Francisco, a national park site and national historic landmark district just south of the Golden Gate Bridge.
“We are encouraged with the number and quality of responses and look forward to engaging the public and evaluating concepts over the coming months,” said Craig Middleton, the Trust’s executive director. “Finding a new purpose for this incomparable site clearly has stirred the imaginations of teams from around the country.”
Presidio of San Francisco (August 14, 2012) — President Barack Obama has named two prominent Bay Area leaders — Paula R. Collins and Alex Mehran — to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors. The White House also re-appointed Nancy Bechtle as board chair. Ms. Collins and Mr. Mehran are replacing outgoing board members J. Michael Shepherd and Bill Wilson.
Paula R. Collins is the chief executive officer of WDG Ventures, Inc., a real estate development company in Northern California, and president of Portfolio Real Estate Consulting.
Part of the original project development team for the Moscone Convention Center, Ms. Collins is a founder and director of Presidio Bank in San Francisco, a member of the national board of the Automobile Association of America and has served as an appointee to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Visiting Committee for the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. In addition, she is co-chair of the Board of Directors for the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, a member of the board of the Special Olympics for Northern California and has served on the Board of Directors of the BRIDGE Housing Corporation. Ms. Collins has been awarded the prestigious Silver Spur Award by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research organization, in honor of her dedication to improving the quality of life and economic health of San Francisco; and has been honored by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the San Francisco Business Times. She graduated cum laude in urban studies from Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts and received her master’s degree in city planning from MIT. Ms. Collins replaces Mr. Shepherd on the board.
A Bay Area native, Alex Mehran is the president and chief executive officer of Sunset Development Company, a San Ramon based real estate development, investment, construction and management company founded by his father almost 60 years ago.
Mr. Mehran is chair of the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, a trustee of the San Francisco Ballet and a member of the University of California, San Francisco Chancellor’s Associates. In addition, he is a past chairman and current executive committee member of the Bay Area Council and is a former trustee of the Urban Land Institute and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Mr. Mehran received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, where he graduated with honors. He earned a law degree, also with honors, from England’s Cambridge University. Mr. Mehran replaces Mr. Wilson.
“Alex and Paula are joining the board at a very exciting time – the Presidio Trust is now financially self-sufficient and we are seeing the benefits of a decade worth of investments in the park,” said Craig Middleton, Presidio Trust Executive Director. “Alex and Paula will be instrumental in helping us expand the public benefit of the Presidio to the local community and the nation.”
A fourth generation San Franciscan, Nancy Bechtle grew up across the street from the Presidio, and, as a child would scale the base’s walls to play in Julius Kahn Park. Once, she was even kicked out for riding her horse on the base. Appointed to the Trust’s board by President George W. Bush in 2008, Ms. Bechtle was first elected chair in 2009. She is chairman of the board of the Sugar Bowl Corporation, serves on the board of directors for the Charles Schwab Corporation and is a former chief financial officer and director of J.R. Bechtle and Company. A past president and chief executive officer of the San Francisco Symphony, Ms. Bechtle has served on the symphony’s board of governors since 1984 and has also served on the board of the San Francisco Opera Association. In addition she has served on the board of the National Park Foundation, holding the board’s citizen chair from 2005 to 2007. Ms. Bechtle recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco and has received a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award from the California Arts Council and the Investment in Leadership award from the Coro Foundation, among her many other honors.
“I am pleased to welcome these very talented and accomplished people to the board,” said Nancy Bechtle. “The experience that Paula and Alex bring will be great assets as the Trust expands its public-serving programs while continuing to keep an eye on ensuring the park’s self-sufficiency.”
The Presidio Trust is governed by a seven-member board of directors. Six members are appointed by the President of the United States. The seventh is the U.S. Secretary of the Interior or his designee. An executive director reports to the board and oversees a staff with expertise including environmental science, historic preservation, operations and maintenance, landscape design, planning, resource management, real estate development, public affairs and programs, law, and finance.
Biographies of all Trust board members are available at www.presidio.gov
The Presidio Trust was established by the United States Congress in 1996 to administer the Presidio of San Francisco, an urban national park site that is located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The areas overseen by the Trust include expansive open space and spectacular views, a 300-acre historic forest, and rare and endangered plants and wildlife. The park comprises nearly 6 million square feet of buildings, including 469 historic structures that contribute to the Presidio’s status as a National Historic Landmark District.”
Get on up to the Presidio today at 1:00 PM to see hundreds of goats being delivered to clean up the areas surround our Presidio Golf Course. Deets below.
And then, to make your day completely hurcine, go ahead and nosh on a warm Goat Cheese Naploleon at the popularPresidio Cafe:
GOAT CHEESE NAPOLEON – warm Laura Chenel goat cheese, puff pastry, sweet & spicy pecans, fresh berries & balsamic dressing
(When young, these critters kind of look like dogs.)
All the deets:
“NATURE’S LAWNMOWERS” REPORT FOR TOUR OF DUTY AT PRESIDIO GOLF COURSE
Date: Tuesday August 7, 2012
Time: 1:00pm
Location: Presidio Golf Course; behind the clubhouse (300 Finley Road, inside the Arguello Gate)
Who: The Presidio Trust and Arnold Palmer Golf welcome a herd of goats to the Presidio Golf Course to tame the overgrown ivy, blackberry and hemlock that have popped up around the links. The goats will arrive at 1:00pm on Tuesday, August 7 and will be corralled at the clubhouse for about an hour when the public can “meet the goats.” After all the goats are unloaded, they will be shepherded by three border collies to a site near the driving range.
What: The 250-300 Boer goats begin their culinary odyssey in an overgrown thicket behind the driving range. The hungry herd’s two-week tour of duty will be spent chomping through weeds and transforming them into natural fertilizer, allowing native grasses to flourish. Once the unwanted vegetation has been eaten back, not only can errant golf balls be retrieved, but serpentine soil will be revealed. The hope is long buried seeds will sprout, enabling native wildflowers and grasses to once again take root and thrive. The goats’ next stop will be a wetland area near the 4TH hole now thick with thistle and hemlock.
The project is part of a broader effort to upgrade the course using sustainable means whenever possible. Improvements are planned for every hole and bunker on the course, including the creation of so-called “fuzzy bunkers” using native plants and grasses. The result will be a course that is both more attractive and more challenging, with a less manicured and wilder look evocative of traditional Scottish links courses.
Originally constructed in 1895, the Presidio Golf Course is the second oldest course west of the Mississippi. Long restricted to members of the military and the exclusive Presidio Golf Club, the course was opened to public play 1995.
The goats are supplied by California Grazing, a holistic land management company that provides brush and weed control through grazing.”
Our Presidio Trust just posted a video to the YouTube about the OC being in rehab.
You people want history* in the Presidio? Well here, have some, via un film du Melissa Peabody:
“No place in the Presidio is more beloved than the historic Officers’ Club, located on the Main Post. Over the course 235 years, the building has played many roles. It served as offices and living quarters for the fort commander, as a post headquarters, as officers’ quarters, and as a social center for the Spanish, Mexican, and United States armies. With each new use the building has grown and evolved, like the Presidio itself.
Today, the oldest and most revered building in the Presidio (and one of the two oldest in San Francisco) is undergoing a comprehensive historic rehabilitation that will revive its original grandeur and restore it as a focal point for visitors and as a venue for cultural events.
This video provides an overview of the Officers’ Club history and plans for returning it to its place as the Presidio’s premiere social destination.
The Officers’ Club will reopen as a community and social hub housing the Presidio Heritage Center in 2013. The project is expected to receive a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
This film is by Melissa Peabody. Copyright 2012, Presidio Trust”
*As opposed to a modern art building or a lodge or a working movie theatre or anything else the richers of the Marina actively fight against…
Join the Presidio community for the Holiday Lights Tree-Lighting Ceremony, a Presidio tradition. The gathering will be held on Friday, December 2, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Meet at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Funston Avenue in the Main Post (across the street from the Presidio YMCA). Bring your singing voice . . . music will be provided by the Golden Gate Carolers. Refreshments will follow. After the festivities, stick around for an Evening Forest Walk, beginning at 6:15 pm. This family-friendly, 20-minute lantern walk will allow you to experience the enchanting park in the dark. Bring a flashlight! For more information, visit the website.
Volunteer Day at Dragonfly Creek – Saturday, December 3
Join us for Presidio Volunteer Day at Dragonfly Creek on Saturday, December 3, from 8 am to 1 pm. At this special commemorative stewardship event, Presidio staff will host diverse volunteer activities highlighting restoration and sustainability. Projects include planting, weeding, and spreading mulch at Dragonfly Creek, as well as various stewardship activities at the Presidio nursery, salvage yard, and nearby gardens. Come out and lend a hand! Family-friendly. All ages welcome. If you are a bird enthusiast, arrive at 8 am for a Fort Scott bird walk. Volunteer check-in begins at 8:30am. Registration is required. Call (415) 561-5333 or email volunteer@presidio.gov.
Bike-Friendly Saturday at the Presidio YMCA – December 3
Join the Presidio Community YMCA for a bike-friendly Saturday! Its YBike Instructors will lead biking activities for all ages. There will be two group rides: one for children 12 and older, and another for families with children of all ages. The Y will also offer Learn to Ride and Basic Skills lessons. This event will take place from 9 am to Noon on Saturday, December 3 at the Presidio YMCA Main Post Gym, located at 63 Funston Avenue. Please visit YBike for more information.
Family Night Hike – Saturday, December 3
Come join us for a night time adventure for all ages in the Presidio! The Family Night Hike will be held on Saturday, December 10, from 5:30 to 7 pm. This naturalist-led event will start and end at the newly renovated Rob Hill Campground, just off Washington Boulevard overlooking Baker Beach. On this relaxed walk, we will learn about the unique natural and cultural history of the Presidio illuminated by a half moon and starry night sky. The walk will end with a campfire and story at Rob Hill Campground. There will be a 25 person limit on this walk, so make reservations as spaces go fast! RSVP required to Alisha Cahlan at acahlan@presidiotrust.gov. Wear comfortable walking shoes, layered clothing, and bring a water bottle.
Create With Nature at Rob Hill – Saturday, December 10
Family Create With Nature: Sculpture in the Park Saturday, December 10 10 am to Noon (drop in anytime) Meet at Rob Hill Campground Families! Flowers, pine cones, leaves, stones, branches, bark, and other wonders of nature are the inspiration and the materials for this day of spontaneous collaborative artistic expression. Get creative, and have fun while appreciating and honoring nature. RSVP to nature@presidiotrust.gov or (415) 561-4449.
Christmas with Walt Disney Screens in December
This holiday season the Walt Disney Family Museum at the Presidio is featuring the film Christmas with Walt Disney. Look back at the ways Walt celebrated the holidays — at home, at work, at play, on TV and at the Studios. From animated cartoons to rare home movies, this holiday movie was produced by Don Hahn—Academy Award®-nominated producer of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, and is narrated by Walt’s daughter Diane. The film screens daily at 1 and 4 pm (except Tuesdays and on December 10). Tickets are available online. For details, visit www.waltdisney.org. The museum is located at 104 Montgomery Street, on the Main Post, in the Presidio.
“PRESIDIO’S ANNUAL REDMOND KERNAN LECTURE EXPLORES ROLE OF PORT IN SF’S DEVELOPMENT
Presidio of San Francisco (November 15, 2011) — Historian and author Michael Corbett recounts the rarely told story of the Port of San Francisco in the Presidio Trust’s annual Redmond Kernan LectureThursday, November 17 at 7pm at the Golden Gate Club. Admission is free.
Corbett uses historic images to trace the physical development of the port and its central role in San Francisco’s growth and prosperity from the 19th century to World War II. The port’s familiar piers and warehouses, created through monumental works of engineering, are now some of the most desirable urban real estate in the United States. Corbett not only chronicles the heyday of the port as a flourishing hub of shipping and commerce, but places it in a contemporary context as well.
“Before his talk, Corbett will be signing copies of his latest book, Port City: The History and Transformation of the Port of San Francisco, 1848-2010, which was released in February. An independent architectural historian who has been writing about San Francisco since 1973, Corbett has authored several books including Splendid Survivors: San Francisco’s Downtown Architectural Heritage (1979), the influential survey that formed the basis of the downtown plan and remains a standard reference on San Francisco architecture.
The lecture, Fundamental San Francisco: The Creation of the Port and the Development of the City, is the last in the inaugural season of the Presidio Trust’s new series, Contemporary Historians at the Presidio: Voices and Views. The series, which features some of the nation’s pre-eminent historians, explores a wide range of issues, some of which are specific to the Presidio, and others which delve into larger themes in American and world history that help put the Presidio’s extraordinary past into context as a former military post and now an innovative national park.
The Redmond Kernan Lecture is presented annually by the Presidio Trust. It honors the late Redmond Kernan, a former Army officer and long-time Presidio advocate. This year’s lecture, Fundamental San Francisco: The Creation of the Port and the Development of the City, takes place Thursday, November 17 at 7pm at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop in the Presidio, and will be preceded by a book signing at 6:30pm. Admission is free.
The Presidio Trust was established by the United States Congress in 1996 to oversee the Presidio of San Francisco, an urban national park site located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Presidio was established in 1776 by Spain and is the birthplace of San Francisco. In 1846, it became a United States Army post and eventually was the headquarters for the 13 U S Army forts that encircled San Francisco Bay and that today make up the heart of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Presidio was named a National Historic Landmark District in 1962 and it became a national park site in 1994. Today, more than 8,000 people live and work in the park, setting this park apart from other national park sites.”
I think Don Fisher of The Gap paid for this operation what cost millions.
The Presidio people were supposed to have reopened the moribund Main Post Theatre by now but the Infamous NIMBYs of the Marina District and the Greedy Owners of Nearby Movie Theatres put a stop to that.
“PRESIDIO CREEKS SPRING BACK TO LIFE – RESTORATION OF DRAGONFLY CREEK NEXT STEP IN UNCOVERING PARK’S HIDDEN WATERWAYS
Presidio of San Francisco (September 21, 2011) — As the height of dry season arrives in San Francisco, the work to restore and expand the wetlands at Dragonfly Creek begins again this week in the Presidio. This effort provides an exciting opportunity to improve the parkland for both wildlife and visitors.
This is just one of a number of restoration projects in the Presidio and across the Bay Area intended to bring long buried or obscured waterways back to the surface, a process described as “daylighting,” which consists of excavating fill, removing buried culverts, and contouring the soil to create more natural, above-ground stream channels.
The many environmental and community benefits of these revitalization projects are currently visible in the Presidio, where Dragonfly Creek is one of several waterways that will be daylighted over the next couple of years.
“We have a unique opportunity in the Presidio to restore this creek to a more natural state,” says Mark Frey, an ecologist with the Presidio Trust. “Dragonfly Creek supports a remarkable diversity of native plants and animals.”
Revitalization of the creek, located in the historic Fort Scott district near the Presidio Native Plant Nursery, began several years ago with removal of eucalyptus trees and other non-native plants in favor of native wetland species. Now, as part of the environmental mitigation efforts associated with construction of the Presidio Parkway, the Trust is working with Caltrans to restore and expand the creek’s wetlands. Excavation and removal of Army-era fill will widen the floodplain, allowing the creek water to flow more freely and increase new wetland habitat. As a result, a small thicket of willows that grows along the creek and is teeming with birds will expand to four times its current size.
“We are pleased to have this opportunity to restore Dragonfly Creek,” says Craig Middleton, Executive Director of the Presidio Trust. “We thank Caltrans for its commitment to restoring the scenic beauty and natural character of this area as part of the Presidio Parkway project.”
The Presidio’s first daylighting project began six years ago in the area known as Thompson’s Reach, in the lower Tennessee Hollow watershed near Crissy Field. As part of that habitat restoration effort, the Trust removed some 77,000 tons of debris from the former Army landfill site, and a 400-foot section of creek was taken out of an underground pipe and brought to the surface. That winter volunteers planted 35,000 native plants of 100 different species in the area. The abundance of wildlife that has moved in— including birds, salamanders, spiders and rare butterflies—gives testament to the site’s success. A video highlighting the transformation at Thompson’s Reach can be seen at www.youtube.com/presidiosf#p/u/9/gPLmzJKtyRk
Daylighting’s history stretches back nearly four decades, but with public interest growing and community planners becoming more aware of the benefits, such projects have gained a new popularity in recent years. In addition to the efforts in the Presidio, three other projects are in the works in San Francisco and another in downtown Berkeley. Projects are also being planned or undertaken in cities as diverse as Reno, Nevada; Seattle; Portland, Oregon; Providence, Rhode Island and Zurich, Switzerland.
In addition to the work at Dragonfly Creek, the Trust is planning its most extensive and dramatic daylighting project at Quartermaster Reach, between Thompson’s Reach and the Crissy Field marsh, where the creek lies buried beneath a decaying parking lot. The plan re-unites this disjointed piece of habitat with the surrounding wetlands, transforming the lot into a large natural wetland full of native plants and animals. The creek will be unearthed and eucalyptus trees and other invasive species removed, creating a contiguous stretch of above ground stream flowing from Thompson’s Reach into Crissy Field marsh. Work is expected to begin as early as 2013.
Additional daylighting projects in the Tennessee Hollow watershed are set to begin in the next several years.
The Presidio Trust was established by the United States Congress in 1996 to administer the Presidio of San Francisco, an urban national park site located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The areas overseen by the Trust include expansive open space and spectacular views, a 300-acre historic forest, and rare and endangered plants and wildlife. The park is home to 13 distinctive plant communities featuring 280 native plant species, 16 of which are rare or endangered. Thousands of hours of volunteer work have restored many acres of natural resource habitat. The Presidio Native Plant Nursery grows 60,000 plants each year to make this restoration possible. 21st-Century “green” practices are employed in all building and landscape rehabilitation efforts.”
Grab your GPS device and head on over to the Presidio to get in on the Geocaching craze.
All the deets, below.
“HIGH TECH HIDE-AND-SEEK” IN THE PRESIDIO
GEOCACHING TAKES FAMILIES, ADVENTURERS OFF THE BEATEN TRAIL
Presidio of San Francisco (August 11, 2011) — “I found it!” exclaimed Alex, his face beaming with pride and the excitement only a 7-year old can muster. With a little help from his mom’s smartphone and a lot of perseverance, Alex had located his first geocache, discreetly hidden near a trail in the Presidio’s Lobos Creek Valley.
The Trust, in conjunction with the National Wildlife Federation, has brought Ranger Rick’s Geocache Trails—a new wildlife-themed, outdoor treasure hunt—to the Presidio.
Sometimes referred to as a game of “high-tech hide and seek,” geocaching is relatively new to national parks, but the phenomenon has been around for more than a decade. Using a smartphone or handheld GPS device, people hunt for “caches” (typically small boxes) hidden in public places around the world.
“Geocaching in the Presidio combines the excitement of a treasure hunt with the reward of discovering lesser known parts of the park,” says Damien Raffa, education and volunteer program manager for the Presidio Trust. “Offering this kind of adventure helps us bring new people into the park and expose them to some of the Presidio’s hidden gems.”
The Presidio offers two ways to play. Visitors can go to www.presidio.gov/kids/trails/ and download GPS co-ordinates, while those without a GPS device can download a map for a self-guided experience. Then simply follow the co-ordinates to uncover the geocache. The cache will never be buried but could be tucked inside a log or tree stump, under a bush or behind a wall. Inside the cache, searchers will find a logbook to sign and a unique stamp depicting a member of the Presidio’s wildlife community.
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