PLANS FOR A VISITOR’S PLAZA at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf that would take the place of Alioto’s Restaurant took further shape this week with the release of initial designs and details.
The proposed work is part of a bigger, multi-phase $10 million “Fisherman’s Wharf Forward” plan that is focused on bringing visitor-friendly amenities and enhancements to the area around the Taylor and Jefferson streets intersection, and the cove west of the Wharf’s Pier 45 known as the Inner Lagoon.
The project is designed to revitalize an area that many local business owners have said lacked in investment for many years, as well as bring an economic boost to the Wharf to make up for the lingering slowdown in visitor traffic that began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The Fisherman’s Wharf Forward plan is a separate project from another proposal by a development group, Fisherman’s Wharf Revitalization LLC, for redeveloping Pier 45 that would include a fish market and restaurant, which has drawn opposition from some commercial fishing groups.
Sarah Bates, a board member for the Crab Boat Owners Association, said the association was optimistic about the Wharf Forward plan’s attention to the small harbor and lagoon next to the Wharf that serves the commercial fishing fleet.
“This project does a good job of balancing the needs of the commercial fishing fleet and visitors to Fisherman’s Wharf,” Bates said in a brief phone interview.
She said the Crab Boat Owners Association was working with the Port of San Francisco to push for improvements as part of the Wharf Forward plan such as an ice machine, loading dock and off-loading space as part of the project, among other components Bates said were necessary to sustain a working fleet.
But she said the Crab Boat Owners Association remained “steadfastly opposed to” Fisherman’s Wharf Revitalization LLC’s proposed project that would renovate the eastern side of Pier 45.
“Commercial improvement is what we want, rather than public serving space,” she said.
Bates said some of the lagoon and harbor work would include “unexciting things that make a big difference,” like new lighting and installing a ladder.
The renovation will include a seating area on Al Scoma Way overlooking the lagoon.
Port of San Francisco officials declared in June that Alioto’s — a historic Fisherman’s Wharf mainstay for nearly 100 years until it closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic — was too old and in need of repair to be feasibly rented to a new tenant and recommended its demolition.
The plaza area would include picnic tables, pop-up space for retail or drink sales, a sculpture that can double as seating, landscaping and historic signage.
The project’s initial details drew strong support from the neighborhood business-friendly organization Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District, whose board president Taryn Hoppe called the plan a good first step to bring more economic activity to the famous tourist spot.
“The new waterfront plaza in place of Alioto’s will open up views and strengthen the connection to the fishing industry that makes Fisherman’s Wharf so special,” Hoppe said.
Longer-term work will include seismic upgrades to the Wharf, seawall improvements, flood proofing buildings, enhancements of commercial fishing facilities, and updated retail and restaurant space, according to Lurie’s office.
District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter said in a statement that the Fisherman’s Wharf Forward project would “breathe new life” into the Wharf.
“Just as Alioto’s created lasting memories for so many, I believe the new overlook and plaza will become a cherished gathering spot for families to make their own San Francisco stories. I’m excited to see how this plan helps reenergize the Wharf with new public spaces and gives people yet another reason to visit and fall in love with it all over again,” Sauter said.
The designs will continue to be refined as the city moves toward seeking permits for the work, which is scheduled to be completed by summer 2026.
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