Embarcadero Early Projects address the areas of highest earthquake and sea level rise risks along the Embarcadero waterfront. They are near-term actions, focused on improving life safety and citywide disaster response capabilities, and are the first step toward building long-term, waterfront-wide resilience.
(Above: Blue = Proposition A Predesign; Green = Advance through Geographic Strategy; Purple = Coordination with Long-Term Tenants, Capital Programs and City Agencies)
The Port has identified 23 Embarcadero Early Projects based on its extensive risk assessment work, including the Embarcadero Seawall Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment and the joint Disaster Response Exercise conducted with the Department of Emergency Management.
These projects were evaluated and prioritized using criteria developed with community input. Embarcadero Early Projects respond to community priorities by:
- Prioritizing life safety and emergency response.
- Enhancing and sustaining economic and ecological opportunities.
- Supporting an adaptable and equitable waterfront.
- Ensuring public access to the waterfront and historic places.
- Protecting and preserving historic and maritime resources.
Read more about how public input is informing the Waterfront Resilience Program at the We Hear You: Community Feedback page.
Embarcadero Early Projects List
The Port is recommending 16 Embarcadero Early Projects to advance through Proposition A General Obligation Bond, with plans to advance the remaining projects by pursuing additional funding sources and partnerships:
- 5 projects through geographic development for the stretch between Piers 19 and 41, allowing for multiple funding sources to improve the area with high occupancy and critical City and Port infrastructure
- 11 projects straight to predesign through Proposition A funding; and
- 7 projects through coordination with Port tenants, capital programs, and City agency coordination.
Download the Embarcadero Early Projects brochure here.
Click on the PDF links below to learn more about each project. The number in parenthesis matches the project number from the map above.
Fisherman's Wharf Geography
- Joint Operations Security Center and Fuel Dock Reliability Project (1)
- Wharf J9 Replacement and Resilient Shoreline Project (2) - Updated
- Taylor Street Seawall Earthquake Stabilization Project (3)
- Pier 45 Apron Earthquake Safety Retrofit and Interim Flood Risk Reduction Project (4)
- Pier 43-1/2 Seawall and Wharf Earthquake Safety Project (5)
Pier 19 to 41 Seawall Improvement and Resilient Shoreline Strategy
- Overview
- Pier 41 Seawall Earthquake Stabilization and Wharf Substructure Retrofit Project (6)
- Pier 39 Seawall Earthquake Stabilization and Wharf Substructure Retrofit Project (7)
- Pier 33 to Pier 35 Seawall and Wharf Substructure Earthquake Reliability Project (8)
- Pier 31-1/2 Bulkhead Wall and Wharf Substructure Earthquake Safety Retrofit Project (9)
- Pier 27 Seawall and Wharf Substructure Earthquake Reliability Project (10)
Ferry Building Geography
- Pier 15 Bulkhead Wall and Wharf Substructure Earthquake Safety Retrofit Project (11) - Updated
- Pier 9 Bulkhead Wall and Wharf Substructure Earthquake Safety Retrofit Project (12) - Updated
- Pier 9 Historic Shed Building Earthquake Safety Retrofit Project (13)
- Pier 1 Bulkhead Wall and Wharf Substructure Earthquake Reliability Project (14)
- Ferry Building Seawall and Substructure Earthquake Reliability Project (15) - Updated
- Agriculture Building Bulkhead Wall and Wharf Substructure Earthquake Safety Retrofit Project (16)
- Downtown Coastal Resilience Project - Updated (17)
South Beach Geography
- Pier 24 to Pier 28-1/2 Bulkhead Wall and Wharf Substructure Earthquake Safety Retrofit Project (18) - Updated
- Emergency Firefighting Water System, Intake Tunnel #1 Earthquake Reliability Project (SFPUC Coordination) (19)
- Seals Plaza / South Beach Harbor Seawall Earthquake Stabilization Project (20)
Full Embarcadero Projects
- Pier Fire Suppression and Waterside Evacuation Improvement Projects (SFPUC Coordination) (21)
- Pier 35-1/2 Emergency Firefighting Water System Fireboat Manifold Earthquake Reliability Project (22) - Updated
- Pier & Wharf Utility Connection Earthquake Retrofits Project (23)
A Down Payment on Resilience
The initial cost estimates for delivering all 23 Embarcadero Early Projects range from $650 to $3 billion. Project budgets will be developed as projects advance through predesign. The current overall budget forecast for all Embarcadero Early Projects far exceeds available Proposition A funding. By advancing projects through multiple funding streams, including portions of Proposition A, the Port can better position Embarcadero Early Projects to receive state and federal funding as well as partnerships with long-term tenants, private stakeholders, and city partners.
Embarcadero Early Projects include efforts to strengthen the Embarcadero Seawall in targeted areas. In some cases, these are interim fixes, and in others they are a first step toward future adaptation. Creating a resilient Embarcadero will take several decades, but these projects are an important first step as the Port develops resilience strategies for the entire 7.5 miles of waterfront.
Resilience Along the Entire Waterfront
Alongside identification of Embarcadero Early Projects to address the areas of highest earthquake and sea level rise risks along the Embarcadero waterfront, the Port continues to advance work to reduce risk in the central and southern waterfront. These efforts include partnerships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco Waterfront Coastal Flood Study, Islais Creek Southeast Mobility Adaptation Strategy, and the Southern Waterfront Seismic Vulnerability Assessment.
The Port is actively moving forward with projects related to earthquake hazards in the Southern Waterfront including:
- Pier 50 Earthquake Improvement Project - Updated
The process for Embarcadero Early Projects will inform further development of resilience plans to reduce risks along the Port's entire jurisdiction from Aquatic Park to Heron's Head Park.
