"Our big thought was to organize the site a little bit better," Cataffa says. "We want to clear the center space out, open up the views of the water and organize the program amenities to make the experience much clearer."

Aviles says the total budget for the project will come in at more than $20 million, and that the money to pay for the redevelopment of the site will come from the ferry operator -- not the taxpayer.

The National Park Service announced Thursday that it is seeking proposals from ferry service providers for the concession, including the current contractor, Hornblower Cruises & Events. Aviles adds he does not expect tickets to Alcatraz to go up in price as a result of the improvements.

Audience members from the Jan 30. event offer varying responses to the plan.

"When you look at what's there now it's kind of a hodgepodge of stuff, so it'll be nice to open up waterfront so that the public can get down there and actually see the water," says structural engineer Alan Kren.

But Kren also expresses reservations about the budget. "These types of projects always tend to cost more than people really want to think that they're going to cost," Kren says. "They're difficult renovations over structures that are over the water that people tend to have ignored for a long time because they only see what's up on top. Doing what's on top is pretty straightforward, but what's underneath can be a little bit difficult and that's where the money gets spent. But nobody wants to spend it there."

Meanwhile, Academy of Art architecture and design student Leslie Onumbu expressed excitement about the vision for the Alcatraz landing and welcome center, but says he felt the panelists were too vague about sustainability issues.

"They talked about LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design -- an internationally recognized green building certification system] and they talked about materials," Onumbu says. "But I can't really pinpoint and say OK, this is extremely sustainable."

Early work on the plan did include an extensive environmental impact study. Aviles says improved emissions controls on ferries is an important part of the redevelopment project and that the new and refurbished structures will include sustainable materials.

Kennett says historical preservation is also a key consideration. This includes preserving the facades of the old buildings. "We don't want to compete with the historical elements but complement them," Kennett says.

Aviles says the proposal will go before San Francisco's board of supervisors in March or April. If approved, the transformation will take around five years, with no expected service interruptions.