In going through my collection of interesting documents I found a report dated October 1963 by Victor Gruen Associates: East Bay Shores. This report was prepared for The AT&Sf Railway Company, otherwise known as Santa Fe.. From the report, Santa Fe, in the 1920s, had acquired 3,400 acres of submerged tidelands along the east shore of San Francisco Bay. This stretched from the Bay Bridge to Point Richmond. This report in 1963 was an effort to develop this land. In the report was a review of previews development schemes starting with the Rees plan of 1913- industry and an aquatic Park. In 1920 and 1931 there had been proposals for harbor development and industry filling in most of the area. In 1940, 1945, and 1948 there had been proposals for an airport. And of course in the 1940s there had been the infamous Reber Plan. In this 1963 report, development would be a mix of residential, recreation, educational, and industry. A really fascinating part of the plan was the inclusion of what was to be called the Bayshore Freeway. This was planned by the Division of highway to be a duplicate of the Eastshore Freeway, located some 2000 feet to the west. It was said that their traffic projections in the 1960s showed that both freeways would be required by 1980!!
This 1963 plan did not result in any development of the Santa Fe property, so in 1968, Victor Gruen Associates prepared 'The Santa Fe Plan: for development of the East Bay Shores'. This plan showed residential development in the southerly portions and industrial in the northerly/Richmond portions. The planned Bayshore Freeway westerly of the Eastshore Freeway was retained.
It is fascinating to see these old planning studies and to think about what could have been built!
In going through my collection of interesting documents I found a report dated October 1963 by Victor Gruen Associates: East Bay Shores. This report was prepared for The AT&Sf Railway Company, otherwise known as Santa Fe.. From the report, Santa Fe, in the 1920s, had acquired 3,400 acres of submerged tidelands along the east shore of San Francisco Bay. This stretched from the Bay Bridge to Point Richmond. This report in 1963 was an effort to develop this land. In the report was a review of previews development schemes starting with the Rees plan of 1913- industry and an aquatic Park. In 1920 and 1931 there had been proposals for harbor development and industry filling in most of the area. In 1940, 1945, and 1948 there had been proposals for an airport. And of course in the 1940s there had been the infamous Reber Plan. In this 1963 report, development would be a mix of residential, recreation, educational, and industry. A really fascinating part of the plan was the inclusion of what was to be called the Bayshore Freeway. This was planned by the Division of highway to be a duplicate of the Eastshore Freeway, located some 2000 feet to the west. It was said that their traffic projections in the 1960s showed that both freeways would be required by 1980!!
This 1963 plan did not result in any development of the Santa Fe property, so in 1968, Victor Gruen Associates prepared 'The Santa Fe Plan: for development of the East Bay Shores'. This plan showed residential development in the southerly portions and industrial in the northerly/Richmond portions. The planned Bayshore Freeway westerly of the Eastshore Freeway was retained.
It is fascinating to see these old planning studies and to think about what could have been built!