Demolition permits have been requested for the abandoned grain silos at Pier 90 in San Francisco. The application plans to remove the historic 190-foot structure overlooking Islais Creek to vacate a 2.75-acre site for potential future development. The property is owned by the city and the Port of San Francisco.
The following passage was published by the city’s planning department:
The proposed Pier 90 Grain Silo Demolition Project (proposed project) would consist of land side demolition of the Pier 90 above-ground grain silos, abandoning utilities in place, and leaving the approximately 120,000-square-foot site vacant for a future as-yet unidentified project. Structures to be demolished would include the north and south grain silos, north and south silo towers, conveyor extending above wharf to the silos, maintenance shed, main control building, north and south rail sheds, two truck sheds, and two other intermediate buildings. The proposed project also includes removal of a PG&E transformer. Demolition of waterside structures is not proposed as part of this project. The adjacent Amador office building and storage building to the west of the grain silos would be preserved in place.
The estimated timeline for demolition was not included in the public record. The port has yet to reply to a request for confirmation related to the permit.
Pier 90 abandoned grain silos seen from Illinois Street Bridge, image by Dllu circa 2017
Local historian Gary Kamiya described the creekside silos for the Nob Hill Gazette as the “most mammoth — and visually stunning — industrial building still standing in San Francisco.” In Kamiya’s 2022 article, he references that in 2016, the structures were listed for potential demolition in an SF Port brochure. However, this week’s permit was the first substantial indication that such a project may occur over the last eight years.
In 2014, the north grain silo was decorated with a 197-foot tall mural designed by Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan and painted by R.B. Morris.
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No, no, no! These are visually interesting historical relics that should be incorporated into reuse plans. Witness Minneapolis for examples.
Bummer to lose that huge mural. This is just for “potential” development…I don’t get why they don’t leave the mural structure for now, as that potential development might find some creative way to incorporate it into the design of the new building(s).
Save the historic mural! It’s one of the last remaining cultural landmarks representing the pure heart of street art and it’s contribution to our soon forgotten industrial past. It’s a blue collar beacon of community and under represented people.
Save the mural!
Great move it’s just been sitting idle for yrs and a waste of space, this area should be redeveloped like they did mission bay I can see a ton of housing going up in the area.
People calling themselves progressive want to keep these useless 190ft grain silos they didn’t know existed 5 minutes before reading this article. NIMBYism in a nutshell folks…
NIMBYs are just weak people who fear all change.
Their ancestors opposed the transition from a hunter-gatherer life to agriculture.
Both then and now, weak people oppose all progress.
The fact that grain silos are still up as late as 2024 is insane. At least the problem is being rectified.
I can’t tell how much of the above is sarcasm (one can only hope).
Looking forward to seeing more bay front/channel land open up for cleanup and better use.
I’m sure the silos are falling apart but that’s because the Port did nothing to protect them. Don’t let our civic icons disappear. Save the Gantry Crane now!
Don’t fret, they are saving some key items in this vicinity, such as the historic smokestack, and leaning into the industrial aesthetic. There’s a good plan in place. The grain silos must go.
That smokestack is depressing & creepy. I like saving pieces of built history — that structure is low vibration. I have no opinion about the silos, but I do wonder where the Bay Area currently stores ag grain.
I pass this site daily; it isin a decaying industrial area, next to a cement plant.
If the city wants to demolish un-usable buildings, there are plenty in residential areas–check out Mission Street for starters.
The silos must be saved, you know, in case we need to store grain in the City again. Who needs housing in San Francisco, let alone California. (Insert sarcasm emoji.)
Unleash the YIMBY Smash n’ Bash. God forbid we have anything old or funky in this city.
Grain silos can be repurposed like the ones turned into a hotel in Capetown South Africa.