Transforming Crissy Field

Following years of neglect, the Presidio's Crissy Field, in San Francisco, has been converted from a military airfield and industrial storage yard into a great urban waterfront park. Now boasting an expanded beach with restored dunes and a tidal marsh, the site, located along the San Francisco Bay, required considerable coastal engineering to ensure its long-term stability. The $32-million restoration project was managed and funded largely through the Golden Gate National Parks Association, of San Francisco, in cooperation with the National Park Service. The project was funded mostly by private contributions, including a $16-million donation by the Haas Family, the owners of San Francisco-based Levi Strauss & Co. The restored Crissy Field connects Fort Point to Fort Mason - another former military facility converted into a public park east of Crissy Field - and joins the Presidio to an open area adjacent to the San Francisco Marina, accommodating an endless stream of visitors.