Vacant Historic Presidio Hospital to be Morphed Into Residential Complex

For two decades, the building sat vacant -- a dilapidated shell serving as a canvas for local graffiti artists. Now the former Public Health Service Hospital in the southern Presidio near Mountain Lake in San Francisco is being given new life.

At groundbreaking ceremonies last month, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Presidio Trust, Forest City Residential Development, and the community watched as crews demolished segments of the hospital’s non-historic “wings,” the first step in repurposing the 1930s-era historic building as a vibrant residential community near 15th Avenue and Lake Street.

“We’re excited that transformation of this very special neighborhood is underway,” says Craig Middleton, executive director of the Presidio Trust. “We expect this area to become a gateway to the larger Presidio, a place where the community can experience the history, beauty, and recreational opportunities the park has to offer.”

Demolition of the non-historic wings, encompassing about 128,000 square feet, will take just over four months to complete. Rehabilitation of the remaining structure, comprising more than a quarter-million sq ft, is the largest historic preservation project at the Presidio. By late 2010, not only the hospital building itself, but all the buildings and landscapes in the Public Health Service Hospital District will have undergone a dramatic makeover.

Plant Construction is the general contractor on the project and Perkins + Will is the architect.

 “It’s going to be an amazing transformation,” says Chandler McCoy, Associate Director of Planning for the Presidio Trust. “The building and the site have been empty for so long. When it’s all done, this is going to be one of the most desirable destinations in the city.”

The first building on the site was constructed in 1875 and named San Francisco Marine Hospital. The facility provided free medical care to merchant marines from around the world. By the turn of the century the hospital had taken on a larger role in protecting public health, providing such services as disease control, quarantine duties, and medical examinations of immigrants from Angel Island.

In 1932, a new building called the Public Health Service Hospital replaced the original wood framed structure. Twenty years later, two large front “wings” were added, and the hospital continued to operate until its closure in 1981.

“The Presidio is a national treasure,” says Susan Smartt, Senior Vice President of Forest City. “This project is an exciting opportunity to rehabilitate an historic building with a vibrant new use, while maintaining the building’s character and serving the park and the larger community.”

In 2003, the Presidio Trust sought a new use for the former hospital, which is the park’s largest historic building, as well as other buildings on the 42-acre site. The public planning process was completed in spring 2007. Forest City Residential Development was selected to convert the hospital structure to rental housing and add seven small new townhouses.

Many other changes are coming to the rest of the district. The Presidio Trust will rehabilitate the adjacent, historic former Nurses Dormitory and repurpose the building for workspaces. In addition, eleven historic residences along Wyman Avenue, the last of the Presidio’s historic residential neighborhoods to be renovated, will be rehabilitated. The Presidio Trust will also enhance the region with new trails and scenic overlooks, and restore natural areas.

Forest City plans to seek LEED gold certification for the project.

Forest City Development will remove the non-historic wings and convert the historic main hospital building into 154 apartments. Junior one bedroom, one bedroom, and two bedroom units will range from about 400-1,500 sq ft to be occupied by an estimated 310 new residents.