Swinerton Completes Presidio Tunnel Tops Park Project in San Francisco

Swinerton completed the Presidio Tunnel Tops project, a 14-acre park that sits atop the Presidio Parkway tunnels in San Francisco, California. The $118-million project replaces Doyle Drive. The park features scenic overlooks, trails and picnic areas, alongside views of the Golden Gate Bridge. The area is surrounded by meadows that host 180 varieties of plants native to the area.

The team’s work on the project began in 2014 and comprises new buildings construction including a learning center, outdoor patio, restroom facilities and seismic upgrade for the historic Building 603. The project also included new roadways, curbs and bus pads, playgrounds, lawn and picnic venues, viewing terraces and overlooks and a community amphitheater. New landscape elements were added across 14-acres with strict regulatory environments around contaminates and bacteria. The project is seeking a Bay-Friendly Landscape Certification, incorporating the seven bay-friendly landscape principles and more than 50 environmentally sound landscape practices.

New utilities distributed across the site include deep sewer, storm, domestic and reclaimed water. New gas service was provided for the new buildings and fire pit site amenities. Due to the site grade, a benched embankment was created to prevent slide of the earth. New electrical service was considerable to service a large amount of site lighting. In addition, the company coordinated directly with Presidio Trust Utilities, PG&E, Presidio Trust Fire Marshal and federal ABA standards.

Reclaimed cypress was used in over 100 tunnel tops furnishing elements, including benches, built-in seats, picnic tables, gates and multiple playground features. In addition, it provided siding for the buildings in the youth campus.

A large cypress that laid on the forest floor in park for some time, got a second life as milled lumber and was used in hand-crafted park furnishings and interior and exterior siding. The huge tree, which measured around 90 feet long, and six feet in diameter, was just some of the wood used in the project, which sourced over 50% of its reclaimed wood from the Presidio’s reforestation program.