The new plan promises 8,000 new homes, but only 20% are designated "affordable." The rest are market-rate luxury condos with rooftop gardens, marinas, and yoga decks.
During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the island suffered significant soil liquefaction, cracking roads and tilting buildings. The new plan fortifies the ground with 1,300 stone columns driven 60 feet into the bay floor. slammed treasure island
That military legacy left a curse. When the Navy departed in the 1990s, they left behind a Superfund site: radiological contamination, lead paint, asbestos, and barrels of unknown chemicals buried in the sandy soil. For decades, the island sat in limbo—affordable housing for the working class, but a poisoned chalice for developers. The new plan promises 8,000 new homes, but
It was an art deco masterpiece—a "fairy city" of white towers and neon lights. But as soon as the fair ended, the treasure chest slammed shut. The Navy took over the island, using it as a naval station for 50 years. That military legacy left a curse
Today, the redevelopment of Treasure Island is the most ambitious and controversial urban project in California. And the critics have not held back. The phrase "slammed treasure island" appears in news reports for three distinct reasons: environmental risk, seismic danger, and social equity. 1. The Climate Hammer: Rising Seas Treasure Island sits just 13 feet above sea level at its highest point. With climate models predicting the bay will rise by as much as 7 feet by 2100, engineers are in a race against the tide.
By J. Parker, Senior Environmental Correspondent