By Amy O’Hair More photos and history about the Balboa Reservoir here.
The Balboa Reservoir is due for big changes, if all goes to plan—perhaps the last of its many transformations since Adolph Sutro’s eucalyptus trees were cleared from this corner of his massive forest in 1894. From these recent images I hope to someday create then-and-now photo sliders, showing dramatic changes after housing and a park go up on this land. These are places that automated street-mapping cameras never went, but later will go, when there are new streets and houses.
On the Lower Reservoir, the planned housing project has yet to break ground, but I have included some images from the developers’ projections. See plans here (under ‘Meetings’ > PDFs labeled ‘Boards for Community Feedback’; the most recent one has been removed unfortunately). More about the planned housing project on the developers website. Read some recent news on the funding at theIngleside Light.
Meanwhile, on the Upper Reservoir, City College is presently in the process of building the STEAM Center, for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math; a tall crane rises over the construction area, an unusual but increasingly more common sight in these neighborhoods. Read about the new project at the Ingleside Light. Or on CCSF’s own page about the new construction. Rendering and floorplans here.
In related news, the Board of Supervisors has approved naming the extension of Lee Avenue through the housing project after the mayor who set the ball rolling for the new development in 2014: “Mayor Edwin M. Lee 李孟賢市長街”. The other planned new streets have been given generic plant names–read more at the Ingleside Light.
First some general views, then some attention to existing and projected pedestrian accessways.
Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. View south from north berm. Ocean Avenue multi-unit development in view. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Developers’ projected view of central park, Balboa Reservoir. View toward south. Document here. Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. View northeast from west berm. Mount Davidson and City College construction in view. Photo: Amy O’Hair.
Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. View east-southeast from west berm toward City College. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. View west from southeast corner of site. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Developers’ projected view of central park, Balboa Reservoir. View toward north-northwest. Document here. Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. View southwest from Lee Avenue extension. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Balboa Reservoir site plan from the developers, from Oct 2021. See whole document here (PDF).View north toward planned extension of Lee Avenue, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Photo: Amy O’Hair.
Presently there is pedestrian access to the reservoir land at the far north end of Lee Avenue. Eventually this stub with be connected with the road that runs between the Upper and Lower Reservoir sites. Meanwhile it is well trafficked by people on foot.
Present north end of Lee Avenue, a well-used ped access to CCSF. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Present pedestrian access at north end of Lee Avenue, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Present pedestrian access at north end of Lee Avenue, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Present pedestrian access at north end of Lee Avenue, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Photo: Amy O’Hair.
Another pedestrian access point will be the far north end of Brighton.
View north from Ocean Avenue toward planned Brighton Gateway. Grocery store infrastructure currently blocks easy access. Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Photo: Amy O’Hair.View south toward planned Brighton Gateway, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Developers’ projected view of Brighton Gateway, Balboa Reservoir. Document here.
One hard-fought battle of the community meetings was pedestrian access at the stub-end of San Ramon Way on the Westwood Park side of the site.
San Ramon Gateway, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Photo: Amy O’Hair.San Ramon Gateway, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Developers’ projected view of San Ramon Gateway, Balboa Reservoir. Document here.
Another new pedestrian accessway is planned for the far southwest corner of the project, opening up the garden next to the Ingleside Library. See map below for all planned pedestrian pathways.
Decorative Gate, Ingleside Library Gateway, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. This fenced-off entrance will be the southwestern pedestrian access to the site. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Ingleside Library Gateway, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. This fenced-off entrance will be the southwestern pedestrian access to the site. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Beyond the fencing. Ingleside Library Gateway, Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Southwest corner of the site, presently fenced off. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Map of pedestrian network from developers’ presentation, Dec 2018. San Ramon Gateway on middle left; Ingleside Library Gateway on lower left, and Brighton Gateway on lower middle of project site. Document here.
Some views of the CCSF construction now underway. Enough workers to make a taco truck worthwhile.
New construction, Upper Reservoir, City College of San Francisco, spring 2023. View from Lee Avenue extension. Photo: Amy O’Hair.New construction, Upper Reservoir, City College of San Francisco, spring 2023. View from Riordan driveway. Photo: Amy O’Hair.Springtime bloom along Lee Avenue. Balboa Reservoir, spring 2023. Photo: Amy O’Hair.
2 thoughts on “Another Year on the Balboa Reservoir: Photos on the Cusp of History”
As a former resident of Sunnyside (living in Atlanta now), I continue to be fascinated with the growth that’s taking place in my old neighborhood. I appreciate the detailed research, Amy! I’m curious if you know of any plans that Riordan may have for expansion. It seems like their footprint would need be to be expanded as well, along with that of City College, which is already underway.
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Riordan will have a quite tall and close-by neighbor in the form of 5-story multi-unit housing buildings! As in nestled right up to the fence next to the athletic field. They got involved late in the community process, and I don’t know what their current take on it is. They had to get a special consideration for the exit from the parking lot onto the reservoir land, which is historical but wasn’t exactly officially a street access. The developers are building them access there. I think they will need a tall fence on along the south edge of the field. This is a big change.
As a former resident of Sunnyside (living in Atlanta now), I continue to be fascinated with the growth that’s taking place in my old neighborhood. I appreciate the detailed research, Amy! I’m curious if you know of any plans that Riordan may have for expansion. It seems like their footprint would need be to be expanded as well, along with that of City College, which is already underway.
Riordan will have a quite tall and close-by neighbor in the form of 5-story multi-unit housing buildings! As in nestled right up to the fence next to the athletic field. They got involved late in the community process, and I don’t know what their current take on it is. They had to get a special consideration for the exit from the parking lot onto the reservoir land, which is historical but wasn’t exactly officially a street access. The developers are building them access there. I think they will need a tall fence on along the south edge of the field. This is a big change.