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Executive director highlights YMCA opening, Fisherman's Wharf promenade work and staffing wins
Summary
Executive Director Elaine Forbes updated the Port Commission on staffing approvals, new Dogpatch YMCA opening, Fisherman's Wharf promenade improvements, safety and resilience coordination, and upcoming waterfront events including NBA All‑Star activities.
Executive Director Elaine Forbes opened her Feb. 11 report by noting cultural observances and recent waterfront milestones and then reviewed staffing, events, equity and resilience initiatives.
Forbes said the port received approval to continue recruitment for 16 positions that had previously been frozen, enabling staff to support harbor projects, resilience planning, Fisherman's Wharf revitalization and southern waterfront improvements. She thanked city leadership for support of the resourcing plan.
Forbes announced the opening of a new Dogpatch YMCA in Crane Cove Park — the first YMCA to open in San Francisco in about 30 years — and said the Y will host neighborhood programming and serve as headquarters for a local small business, Dogpatch Paddle. She said a ribbon-cutting is planned for May.
Forbes described planned activity on the waterfront for the NBA All‑Star weekend (Feb. 16), including a game, a cruise ship arrival, a Chinese New Year parade and a drone show near port property, and thanked safety and maintenance teams for planning and operations support.
On Fisherman's Wharf, Forbes showed a concept and progress for the Fisherman's Wharf Promenade project, including a welcome plaza, dining areas, pergolas, planters, lighting and temporary pop-up retail and programming developed with the Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefits District and grant support. She highlighted trash‑can design, seating, an energy-efficient ice machine for fishers and coordination with the Police Department and Public Works for ongoing maintenance.
Forbes also described equity work for Black History Month and said port staff are examining pay equity and expanding racial equity training for leadership. On resilience, she said port staff joined environmental organizations to discuss living shorelines and that five San Francisco fellows will join the Waterfront Resilience Program to develop a resilience-focused virtual walking tour.
Forbes noted a set of small safety and resiliency projects funded in part by federal American Rescue Plan dollars, and cited two lighting projects — Seawall Lot 321 (14 poles with dark-sky-compliant solar fixtures) and Seawall Lot 349 — as near-term safety investments. She acknowledged port involvement in an artwork rediscovery and offered support to ports in Los Angeles affected by regional fires.
Forbes also discussed federal funding and regulatory uncertainty, saying the port is monitoring impacts on Army Corps resilience work, ferry electrification funding and related programs and that staff are reviewing facts as they evolve.
Her report concluded with thanks to commissioners and staff; commissioners responded with praise for the report and questions about retail, fishermen support and outreach.
