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Rules Committee forwards pier arts lease and waiver for tenant-improvement contracting to full Board
Summary
Committee voted to send an ordinance waiving contracting requirements so CAST (Community Art Stabilization Trust) can receive reimbursements up to $500,000 for tenant-improvement work at Pier 29 under a port lease; the committee heard presentations on the proposed arts residency and education programs and on timeline and code-compliance needs.
The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on a May meeting voted to forward an ordinance that would waive certain contracting requirements of the Administrative Code so the Port of San Francisco may reimburse tenant-improvement work performed by Community Art Stabilization Trust (CAST) for a lease at Pier 29.
Supervisor Sauter introduced the item and said the project would activate a long-dormant pier with arts programming and provide space for artists. Scott Lansiddle, deputy director of real estate for the Port of San Francisco, explained the port and CAST negotiated a two-year lease with an option to extend for two additional years; the lease includes an allowance of up to $500,000 to reimburse CAST for incremental tenant-improvement costs related to code compliance and life-safety upgrades.
The nut graf: The proposed waiver is intended to let CAST, as lessee, perform and be reimbursed for iterative, light-touch improvements — plumbing repairs, fire and life-safety upgrades, egress improvements and other work needed to open the shed — without the port first issuing a traditional bid-set contract. Port staff said the approach aims to accelerate activation so the arts program can open quickly.
Representatives of CAST and the Art + Water project described program plans during the hearing. JD Beltran, an artist and arts educator, said the residency would host cohorts of emerging Bay Area artists (the presentation described spaces for 20 emerging artists and 10 mentors in six-month cohorts), operate a daily walk-in gallery with rotating exhibits, and provide free art education and field trips for San Francisco Unified School District students. Dave Eggers and partners with Art + Water and CAST emphasized a focus on accessibility and local artists.
Port staff told the committee the port commission has approved the lease; Scott Lansiddle said the port expects an initial opening by the end of the year and that the $500,000 allowance is intended for iterative, unanticipated remediation and small capital needs in a historic pier that has been vacant. David Keenan of CAST said he has worked on regulatory and business-plan preparation and asked the committee to approve the Chapter 6 waiver to allow a nimble build-out in the two-year lease period.
Public commenters including artists and waterfront businesses voiced support. Paul Madonna, a long-time San Francisco artist, said a visible, year-round visual-arts space on the Embarcadero would be a valuable civic resource; a representative for Pier 23 Café submitted a letter expressing support from nearby businesses.
The committee voted to send the ordinance to the full Board with a recommendation; the motion passed without objection (Vice Chair Cheryl, Supervisor Dorsey and Chair Walton recorded “aye” votes).
The committee record included limited details on the exact contract terms beyond the $500,000 allowance and the two-year lease with an extension option; port staff said more granular work scopes will be addressed during the lease build-out and that the port commission had already approved the lease. The ordinance being considered waives certain Administrative Code contracting requirements to facilitate reimbursement to CAST for tenant-improvement work on the Pier 29 lease.
