The 49ers’ new stadium in Santa Clara is set to open in ’14, and “adjacent to the stadium will be a home for the franchise’s history: the 49ers Hall of Fame,” according to Eric Branch of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The team has hired Cambridge Seven Associates Inc. and Cortina Productions to head the project, and “those companies have assembled focus groups to help determine what will occupy the proposed 15,000-square-foot building.” By June, the companies “will have met with journalists, season-ticket holders, students, teachers and figures from the 49ers’ past” in order to “establish a concise vision.” Cambridge Seven Associates “has designed a similarly sized hall of fame” for the Patriots that opened in ’06. Its other projects include the Basketball HOF, the Babe Ruth Museum and halls of fame for the Orioles, Colts and Bruins. Cambridge Seven Associate Principal Peter Sollogub said, “The 49ers have wanted the process to be inclusive, which is great. It’s not always the case.” Branch noted the “difference between the 49ers’ project and the one Sollogub undertook with the Patriots is the amount of artifacts that will help bring stories of San Francisco’s past to life.” Sollogub said of the Patriots, “When they began in 2006, they had basically zip.” He added that the idea "is not to stuff the hall with artifacts.” Rather, he “envisions a modern and interactive year-round destination that can also serve as an educational center for children to learn about subjects ranging from nutrition to strategy to math” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/19). CSN BAY AREA's Matt Maiocco noted Cambridge Seven “plans to have discussions with” Pro Football HOFers including Bob St. Clair, Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jerry Rice. Native San Franciscan and former 49ers coach George Seifert "will also be consulted.” The new hall is “also envisioned as site to host gatherings and events” (CSNBAYAREA.com, 5/18).
