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OCII accepts EDA grant amendments to renovate Building 101 at Hunters Point Shipyard
Summary
The commission authorized acceptance and reallocation of roughly $5.16 million remaining from EDA grants to renovate Building 101 at Hunters Point Shipyard, prioritizing fire‑alarm and life‑safety upgrades, accessibility improvements and conversion of the auditorium to a multipurpose room; public speakers from the arts community urged the work.
The Commission on Community Investment and Infrastructure on May 17 authorized acceptance of amendments to U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants and reallocation of remaining funds to renovate Building 101 at the Hunters Point Shipyard arts enclave.
Project scope and funds: Jay Jennifer, the shipyard project manager, told the commission that OCII has received roughly $15.5 million in EDA grants since 2003 and that approximately $5,155,000 remains available. Staff asked permission to shift remaining funds from Building 813 to Building 101 because of delays in Navy parcel transfers. A local match of about $500,000 (tax‑increment) was noted.
Staff stressed priorities would be fire‑alarm and life‑safety systems, accessibility upgrades and conversion of the auditorium to a multipurpose room; if funds allow, ventilation and an elevator would also be included. Jennifer summarized the need plainly: “There’s still about $8,000,000 of work that needs to be done. We would like to take the remaining $5,000,000 from the EDA grants 4 and 5 to do additional portion of that work.”
Why it matters: Building 101 is an existing artist enclave occupying a large industrial building with approximately 151 studios in a building of about 120,000 square feet; improvements are aimed at keeping low‑cost artist studio space functional and accessible to the broader Bayview Hunters Point community.
Public testimony: Representatives of the Shipyard Trust for the Arts (STAR) urged approval. Marty McKee, STAR’s president, highlighted accessibility and community use: “The life safety and accessibility issues are extremely important.” Karen Slater, an artist with a studio in Building 101, described how an elevator and improved access would affect artists who work with large materials and rely on affordable studio space.
Implementation: Staff said they are negotiating a memorandum of agreement with San Francisco Public Works to manage the renovations and expect to return to the commission with the agreement, scope and budgets this summer. The EDA has already authorized the reallocation in a letter received in April.
The commission vote: Commissioner Mondejar moved and Commissioner Singh seconded the motion to accept the grant amendments and reallocate remaining EDA funds to Building 101. The roll call was 4 ayes, 1 absent; the motion passed.
Next steps: OCII staff will finalize the memorandum of agreement with Public Works, return with final scopes and agreements for the commission’s consideration, and proceed with design and approvals for the renovation work.
