Giant Pier 70 waterfront development gets final OK from San Francisco supervisors

Panes of glass are broken or missing from an historic building at Pier 70 in San Francisco. The Board of Supervisors approved the redevelopment of the property Tuesday. Panes of glass are broken or missing from an historic building at Pier 70 in San Francisco. The Board of Supervisors approved the redevelopment of the property Tuesday. Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Giant Pier 70 waterfront development gets final OK from San Francisco supervisors 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A massive development at San Francisco’s Pier 70 and an exit plan for city employees working at the squalid Hall of Justice both won unanimous approval from the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

The Pier 70 project, which has been in the works for a decade, will turn 35 acres of dilapidated shipyard into housing, commercial space, waterfront parks and artist studios. The supervisors voted to move it forward one week after the developer, Forest City, altered its plan to appease an opponent from the Potrero Boosters neighborhood group.

“Exclamation-point moments like today are especially gratifying because it’s clear that the community feels great about the plans and because so many people have worked so hard to shape something special for Pier 70,” said Jack Sylvan, senior vice president of Forest City.

Sylvan counted the board vote as a win, but it was also a small political victory for Potrero Boosters President J.R. Eppler, who got Forest City to reduce the amount of commercial space from 2.3 million to 1.75 million square feet.

Eppler, who said he may enter next year’s race for District 10 supervisor, had raised concerns that the original plan would create traffic jams and strain the city’s jobs-to-housing ratio.

Employees of the Hall of Justice also notched a win Tuesday, when the board authorized a lease for offices at 350 Rhode Island St., along with two letters of intent for facilities in the South of Market.

The vote came days after Supervisors Ahsha Safai, Aaron Peskin and London Breed had criticized the deals, saying the city could save money by purchasing new buildings, rather than renting the Rhode Island Street building for $150 million over 15 years.

“I’m reluctantly voting for this,” Peskin said of the leases, which had resounding support from law enforcement staff and the San Francisco Labor Council, the union that represents public employees.

Conditions at the 59-year-old Hall of Justice have generated complaints for decades, as city workers and jail inmates have suffered through power outages, leaks of raw sewage, frequent flooding, broken elevators and asbestos exposure.

If a 7.9 magnitude earthquake were to strike along the San Andreas fault, at least 100 people would die in the building, according to an analysis the city did earlier this year using hazard-assessment software from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Though several supervisors criticized the leases, it appeared that none wanted to be on record going against the city employees and their union.

“Obviously, we want to own rather than lease (property),” Supervisor Mark Farrell said. “I just think there’s no other option at this point in time.”

The supervisors also unanimously approved a resolution from Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Norman Yee urging the Police Department to create special property crime units at each district station.

The resolution is a downgraded version of an ordinance that Ronen and Yee presented in September. They pulled it back after failing to win support from the Police Department.

Also on Tuesday, the board voted unanimously to urge Congress to impeach President Trump.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan