As expected, Mayor Ed Lee has officially offered San Francisco’s Seawall Lot 330 to George Lucas as a site upon which to build Lucas’ Cultural Arts Museum.
The Mayor has also presented the possibility of working in partnership with the City to build “educational and public open space” upon Piers 30-32 which is directly across the Embarcadero from the Seawall site.
To quote a reader earlier this week, the real coup would be to convince Lucas to build a museum with housing atop or aside the Seawall site:
How about a futuristic “Skywalker Tower”? Or simply “The Ewok.” (Proposed marketing slogan: “Walk to work from the Ewok.”) There are so many techie Star Wars fans, the building would sell out faster than a Millennium Falcon. (Not to be confused with the current Millennium Tower.)
In fact, it would be a cool project for the futuristic architect, Zaha Hadid. May the floors be with you!
Seawall Lot 330 is currently zoned for building up to 65 feet in height across the site with the potential for a couple of towers of limited bulk to reach 105 feet in height.
I could care less about this museum. I mean sure if housing is included in the package, then bring it on, but otherwise? Move it to Chicago, who cares
You could care less? How much less?
That means you care.
I care. I don’t understand why people are so blithe about this – the hipsters will come and go; tourism will always remain a pillar of our economy. And people from around the world will come to a George Lucas museum. If he can convert a couple stupid underbuilt parking lots into an attraction for people across the world – and also in the process tie together the successful northern Embarcadero with the southern waterfront – and do so all with his own money – I think that’s a pretty amazingly wonderful thing.
And it’d be a pretty amazingly wonderful thing even if there’s not a single apartment on the lot.
Agreed. Not everything has to be housing.
San Francisco is known as a city of creativity and innovation. (Innovation being much bigger than tech.) A museum of commercial art, illustration, and animation can inspire and incubate that culture for generations. It’s the perfect intersection between the MOMA and the Exploratorium. There’s more to a city than residential real estate.
This site is remarkable: from 8 of the 9 Bay Area counties, it’s a no-transfer, one-seat ride on transit (train, bus, ferry) and then a twelve-minute walk — or less. And what a walk!
Great location for a sports complex!
@ Sam: Guess what? a lot of us care about this project.
While I did not support the previous Lucas design at the Presidio, primarily because of the cheesy design, perhaps this next iteration will be a more solid, modern solution. This is a great location for the museum, and Lucas has the money to do it right.
And like others have said, there is more to SF than just residential real estate. I personally think the entire frenzy of doom over affordability and lack of new housing is rather overly dramatic. We will never become “cheaper”. We will never become “affordable” for everyone. But we do need to continually bring in the arts and culture to our city.
Is the Ferry Building & environs becoming Pier 39? I just wish that museum would have made a commitment to a more interesting area. I was tittilated by the fun sfbt piece suggesting The Armory even. Back to sleep. Next comments will b positive.
its a great location since its just a short walk from other major visitor location ,
I say get behind what could be the core of a great museum ,
Best thing would be a hotel along with Lucas museum on SWL 330. If it is just a museum, I assume it will be non profit and exempt front property tax revenues – but add a hotel, and we get revenues from property tax and 14% transient taxes from the hotel portion! providing a revenue stream to do some good.
Bring it on. Hire Frank Gehry to do the design.
Let some of those Lucas Arts illustrators work their magic and you’ll come up with a fantastic design. (I’m only half kidding.) But Zaha Hadid would be a natural and exciting choice. What I doubt is if a museum plus significant housing/hotel/space pad can stay under the height limits that people are voting on Tuesday. BTW, VOTE!
Vote NO on B!
(FTFY)
Seawall Lot 330 is currently zoned for development up to 65 feet in height across the site with the potential for a couple of towers of limited bulk to rise up to 105 feet. The passage of Proposition B would not reduce the existing height limits but would require voter approval to upzone the site for building any higher than is currently zoned.
In the conference yesterday, it was stated that nothing higher than 65′ is proposed to be built on the parcel. It’s a clear choice for Lucas. Have a slam dunk museum or attempt another failed development on pier property. Lucas is not a hotel or condominium developer. Leave that hotel or condominium developers.
To your point, Lucas could partner with a condo/hotel developer. As mentioned, SWL330 is zoned for 65/105.
Not seeing why the location needs to add a Hotel , Instead why not just focus on a space that is large enough to display the existing collection , plus still allow enough potential for the growth and additions that it will need over the next 20 years as it grows
Well this specific location doesn’t need a hotel but it would be a good place for one. Or residential. Or office space. Anything but a surface parking lot.
The popularity of Air B&B and the like indicates that there’s a shortage of hotel rooms in the city as well. This part of town would be an ideal place to accommodate both tourists and business travelers.