Treasure Island, a 404-acre man-made island in San Francisco Bay, was built for a world’s fair in 1939. It was later used as a naval station from 1941 to 1996. After decommissioning, the island was leased to private rental agencies and a Job Corps training facility. Plans for development are underway, but the island requires significant seismic interventions and environmental remediation. No serious development work is expected until 2012 or later.
Treasure Island is a 404-acre (1.64 square kilometer) artificially constructed island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, connected to neighboring Yerba Buena Island by a causeway. The island was built in 1939 for the Golden Gate International Exposition, a world’s fair meant to celebrate the construction of the Bay Bridge and the heritage of the Bay Area. Like many construction projects of the 1930s, it was built by the Works Progress Administration and was developed with an assortment of imaginative buildings, most of which have since been destroyed.
Initially, the plan for Treasure Island was to convert it into an airport after the Exposition closed. To this end, several hangars were built for the Pan-American Clipper; these can still be seen at the southern end of the island. However, US involvement in World War II brought Treasure Island to the attention of the Navy. The central location made it ideal for storing equipment and stationing troops, and the Navy offered to swap Mills Field, south of San Francisco, for Treasure Island. The deal was done, and Treasure Island because Naval Station Treasure Island.
From 1941 to 1996, Treasure Island was an active military base. Most of the buildings of the World’s Fair were demolished, although the administration building near the entrance was left intact. Barracks, training facilities, and recreational buildings were built on the island, which was closed to the public. In 1993, under Base Realignment and Closure, the navy decided to decommission Treasure Island, along with the Presidio of San Francisco. By 1997, the base had been shut down completely.
In 2000, the former military quarters north of Treasure Island was leased to a private rental agency by the navy. Housing currently supports a small population, and the center of the island houses a Job Corps training facility. The former clipper hangars are used as soundstages and film studios. Although the island is open to the public, most buildings are off-limits due to safety concerns. The island is also undergoing environmental remediation, to remove contaminants left behind by the navy.
Plans to develop Treasure Island began to be discussed in the late 1990s and several ideas were put forward. No development can be undertaken until the island is cleared and turned over to the city of San Francisco. The island also needs significant seismic interventions, as it is subject to liquefaction during an earthquake and is also sinking. It’s estimated that no serious development work will begin on Treasure Island until 2012, and numerous roadblocks could hamper that process for even longer.
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