Public Health Hospital Landscape Plans Released

By Gloria Osaba

At the Richmond Recreation Center in January, three people gave presentations to the general public on the plan for the Public Health Service Hospital, located in the Presidio near Lake Street and 15th Avenue.

Andrew Wolfram, from SMWM Architects, William Moss, from CMG Landscape, and Alexa Arena, from Forest City Development, made presentations. Presidio Trust representative Chandler McCoy was also on-hand to answer questions.

The Presidio Trust presented a plan that would improve the hospital's landscape, improve auto circulation and parking, and add bike trails. Wolfram presented a plan that would create 162 housing units for renters.

Moss said vegetation will be restored, sidewalks replaced and fixed, and parking created.

"I was very glad that we reached a compromise. The new building is good for the Richmond District and the Presidio Trust," said Ron Miguel, president of PAR (Planning Association for the Richmond), which was instrumental in working out a compromise.

The original plan was to create 367 one-bedroom and two-bedroom residential units with some office space and a transit center. The revised plan is to create 162 residential units while keeping the historical feeling of the building.

"The housing units will be for people who like living in the Presidio, and it will take 23 months to renovate," Arena said.

The Public Health Service Hospital was built in 1875. The largest historic building in the Presidio, it is located at Lake Street and 15th Avenue. The hospital was built in a Georgian revised style in the '30s. Two large non-historic wings were added to the main building in 1952. They will be removed.