On Tuesday evening, the San Francisco Port Commission approved the terms of a new development plan intended to breathe new life into a struggling Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s meant to attract tourists to the fishery, but fishermen say there may be nothing left to see.
There’s no doubt that Fisherman’s Wharf has fallen on hard times. Many of the iconic restaurants, including Alioto’s, Tarantino’s and Fisherman’s Grotto, have closed. But the new redevelopment proposal, by a group called Fisherman’s Wharf Revitalized, would pump more than $500 million into a plan to revamp the building and create a new tourist attraction at Pier 45.
In their pitch to the city, they wrote: “The neighborhood is in danger of becoming stuck in a downward spiral that will be very difficult and expensive to reverse. While tourists may have felt compelled to visit in the past, the city can no longer afford to. It stands to reason that they will continue to come without new investment and attractions being added in the near future.”
The idea is to create a mixed-use restaurant and entertainment area at Pier 45, centered around the fishing operation, including what they call an “experiential museum” where people can watch the fisherman as he processes his catch.
“Apparently they want to put bleachers here, grandstand stands and make it some kind of recreation center for families to come to where they won’t inconvenience us,” said fisherman Alex Toponce. “They want the public to watch us from a distance, but that won’t hinder us.”
Toponce thinks the whole idea is stupid. Currently, most of Pier 45 is used to store all the gear and the thousands of crab pots used by the fishermen. They say it is vital that these are within easy reach, but the new development would wipe it out as a storage space.
‘They don’t understand our business at all. But that’s the whole story [to] push us out,” Toponce said. ‘So they’re doing well. We have nothing left, you know?”
Between the shorter seasons and the new regulations, fishermen are barely hanging on.
But the Port of San Francisco is pleased with what the redevelopment plan would do for the area, saying in a statement: “The project is consistent with the Port’s goals of revitalizing the waterfront, supporting the fishing industry, public increase access to the bay, promote seismic and earthquake damage.” efforts in flood protection and making the area attractive to diverse groups of people.”
They believe that bringing in more businesses would help, rather than hurt, current businesses.
“There’s just no benefit to the fishermen,” said Chris Franks as he worked on a crab trap. He has been fishing since he was 12 and now owns a sustainable fishing company called ‘Hook to Table’. Franks said it doesn’t make sense to him to center a new attraction around an industry that might be forced out in the process.
“The whole area is close to Fisherman’s Wharf,” he said. “People used to like to come and watch the fishermen. It was a big draw. But if you push the fishermen out, there’s nothing but a T-shirt factory.”
Now that the project’s term sheet has been approved by the Port Commission, it heads to City Hall for consideration by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. It is estimated that construction will not take place until sometime in 2028. But fishermen say if they pack up their boats and head north, there may not be much for tourists to see.
John Ramos
