Emerald Fund’s 13-story apartment building at 150 Van Ness Ave. is on schedule for completion by next February, with rebar columns now rising above street level. Clark Construction is the general contractor for the 419- unit complex being built with all union labor.
Work on the CPMC/Sutter Van Ness Medical Office Building (MOB) at Van Ness Ave. and Geary St. is progressing as crews of ironworkers are tying the rebar columns at street level and the project moves to the next phase when steel will be erected that connects to the concrete columns of the below grade garage. Small crews of carpenters, laborers, and operating engineers are on the job, continuing to pour decks and shotcrete, moving up through the lower garage level until March.
After battling (and winning) several legal challenges along the way, the Golden State Warriors are at long last ready to break ground on their new arena. The Warriors' environmental impact report held up in court at the end of November and has allowed them to move forward with construction. The groundbreaking is set for Jan. 17 in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco.
Union contractors Swinerton and Webcor officially broke ground on the Oceanwide Center project at First and Mission streets on December 8. Swinerton CEO Jeff Hoopes and Webcor CEO Jes Pederson attended the groundbreaking ceremony along with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Supervisor Jane Kim, and Oceanwide Holding Group Chairman Xiaosheng Han spoke.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District approved a contract for installation of a stainless steel net below the bridge to prevent more bridge suicides. The District began a preliminary engineering and environmental review for the Golden Gate Bridge Physical Suicide Deterrent System in 2006, and in June 2014, approved spending to install steel-mesh nets under the span to prevent suicide jumps.
Union construction crews are continuing the work of rehabbing and modernizing public housing for several non-profit housing developers in San Francisco. Some Phase I projects are nearing completion as Phase II projects are set to start. Work is being done under terms of a project labor agreement between the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) and the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council (SFBCTC).
The San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority's (SFBRA) Governing Board voted November 30 to require that work on San Francisco Bay restoration projects costing $500,000 and above will be done under terms of a Project Labor Agreement with Bay Area Building Trades Councils.
There are some important projects happening in San Francisco where work has already started or is about to, but won't be completed for a few years. These projects are not only redefining the skyline, but redefining neighborhoods. From the newly named Chase Center and Hunters Point to Treasure Island and 706 Mission, there are plenty of projects to be excited about, and to keep the Building Trades busy for years to come.
So many projects either came online or made significant progress in 2016 that it was difficult to narrow this list down to just 10. And, as you can see with the first item, we cheated a little bit. What this speaks to is just how busy the Building Trades have been in recent years. We're now starting to see the fruition of that outstanding work, from the tallest building in San Francisco to the remains of a bridge.
