Great American Outdoors Act Projects

The dock at Alcatraz Island has not been rehabilitated since its construction in 1939.

Photo by NPS/Will Elder

Big changes are coming to a couple of Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s most popular sites!

Through funding provided by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), millions of dollars will go toward the restoration of the Alcatraz Island wharf and hospital wing and the rehabilitation of Building 643 at Crissy Field.

 

The concrete wharf is the only point of embarkation to and from San Francisco.

NPS photo

More than a million visitors a year come to Alcatraz to learn about its fascinating history, but much of the island’s infrastructure, including its dock, is decades old. Repairing Alcatraz’s only access point will be a great benefit to NPS staff and our partners at Alcatraz City Cruises, who operate ferries that transport visitors from San Francisco. It will also ensure that future generations can continue to visit the island in a safe and consistent way.

A rehabilitation project to correct seismic structural deficiencies in the prison building is also underway. The project will focus on the building’s hospital wing and includes strengthening steel and concrete and abating hazardous materials. Once completed, it will allow continued access to visitors of the Alcatraz cellhouse.

 

Without rehabilitation Building 643 would be unlikely to withstand a significant earthquake.

NPS photo

On the mainland — and with a distant view of Alcatraz — sits Building 643, in front of the World War I era airfield that gives Crissy Field its name. Constructed in 1923, the building was originally made up of two airplane hangars for plane storage and maintenance. The century-old structure is currently being rehabilitated both to meet seismic safety requirements and to restore its historic appearance. Once completed, it will be the new headquarters for the park’s southern maintenance team, which works all across GGNRA’s San Francisco sites to keep them clean and easily accessible to visitors.

We are greatly appreciative of the support we have received from our community members and partners, including our close friends at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, for these and other ongoing park projects. When the work is complete, we look forward to better serving our millions of visitors.