S.F. city officials yesterday said that the Mission Rock development the MLB Giants “plan to build on the bleak parking lot across from AT&T Park could provide a missing piece for the massive Mission Bay development,” according to John Wildermuth of the S.F. CHRONICLE. An official announcement was made of the team's plan for a 27-acre site that includes Pier 48 and also features a "waterfront park, 1,000 apartments, 1.7 million square feet of campus-style office space and plenty of restaurants, shops and other retail space, designed to serve not only baseball fans, but also the workers and residents in the new development and the fast-growing neighborhood around the ballpark." Giants CEO Larry Baer: "There's an increasing demand for neighborhood services, opportunities for cafes, stores and shopping. This will truly be a mixed-use urban project." Wildermuth reports the “exact details” of the plan could change before construction starts in ’15 “depending on market factors, and the design is likely to be refined during what is expected to be a two-year environmental review.” Giants Senior VP & General Counsel Jack Bair said that talks with the city and the port "over the development terms, including who pays for what when it comes to infrastructure improvements, and other financing questions are expected to take months to resolve.” He added that while the project has been discussed for years, “there have been few complaints from the surrounding community.” Bair: “In general, people feel we're creating an amenity for the area and Mission Bay.” S.F. Mayor Ed Lee: “I have every faith we'll work as a team ... to get this through and not have the traditionally tortuous process." The team will partner with Baltimore-based Cordish Cos. on the project (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/5).
