San Francisco unveils Bayview Ambulance Deployment Facility design and budget; artist revises eagle motif

San Francisco’s Fire Commission on Nov. 14 heard detailed plans for a new Ambulance Deployment Facility (ADF) behind Fire Station 9 in the Bayview neighborhood, including building layouts, budget and a timeline that puts substantial completion in July 2020.

Assistant Deputy Chief Anthony Rivera and Kathleen O'Day of Public Works described the 44,000‑gross‑square‑foot, four‑story steel‑frame facility sited on roughly 58,000 square feet between Gerald Avenue and McKinnon. The design calls for an ambulance yard sized for 49 vehicles, four restock bays (up from the current single restock capacity), a fueling station with separate gas and diesel pumps able to refuel multiple ambulances at once, on‑site gurney and biomedical repair, locker and shower facilities, an upstairs training room and conference space.

O'Day said construction began Oct. 22 after a notice to proceed and that the city expects substantial completion in July 2020 with closeout in the fall. The project budget is $50,100,000: a $38,100,000 construction budget; soft costs (permitting, project controls) of about $8,600,000; a contract with S.J. Amoroso for $29,717,700; art enrichment of $560,000; and FF&E and Department of Technology costs of about $1,500,000.

O'Day detailed environmental and engineering risks, including pockets of contaminated, corrosive soils and deep piling needs (pile lengths were estimated at about 135 feet pending pile‑test results). She said the team has drawn on soil borings, met with the Department of Public Health to limit off‑haul, and is planning reuse and on‑site capping where appropriate to reduce hauling costs. The site’s elevations were raised roughly two feet to address potential sea‑level rise impacts.

Public Works also announced a ceremonial groundbreaking set for Nov. 28 at 11 a.m. behind Station 9.

Artist Michael Bartalos presented proposed metal gate and fence artwork for the facility’s pedestrian and vehicular portals. Bartalos described layered brushed stainless steel and painted black steel panels that reference San Francisco fire and EMS iconography, neighborhood landmarks and a sequential narrative meant to be “uplifting, entertaining and inviting.” He noted the artwork’s kinetic shadow effects at different times of day.

Several commissioners praised the project’s operational improvements but pressed for changes to artwork and security details. Commissioner Francie Covington asked about a crown‑like image; Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese and others said an eagle motif read as too militaristic and, one commissioner warned, resembled historical authoritarian imagery. Bartalos and O'Day said the work is preliminary and the artist will modify the eagle. Commissioners also questioned the depiction and use of razor wire. O'Day said temporary designs had security features but Public Works and the Arts Commission will continue to explore more aesthetically compatible deterrents and consider sculptural alternatives.

Commissioners raised potential impacts on adjacent Fire Station 9 parking during construction. O'Day said the project includes a new 10‑space parking lot behind Station 9, temporary parking plans that will preserve at least 10 spaces during construction and an accessible walking path; historic rigs previously stored behind the site were relocated to Treasure Island’s Building 260.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the facility today. Public Works and the Arts Commission said the final design will return for approvals and that community outreach occurred earlier in the year with neighborhood presentations noted in the project record.

The project’s immediate next steps are continued testing (including pile testing), final design adjustments to address community and commissioner feedback about artwork and perimeter security, and the scheduled Nov. 28 groundbreaking.