The San Francisco call., 1910-12-15
HARBOR PROJECT
PUT Under WAY
Board of Works Lets Contract
for Development of Key
Route Basin
Bond Money viii Be Used TO
Create Docks and Manu-
facturieS Sites


of the Pacific coast was begun. by the
beard Of public works this morning in
letting 2 contract to the San Francisco
ouarries company for the construction
~ the rock retaining wall along the
now bulkhead line, which viii serve as
quay wall in the Key Route basin
and as the margin OF the 400 acres of
water front land to be created for the
city by reclamation. The amount of
The contract is s47,450
The work provided by this contract
IS a small part of the whole project.
The greater portion was put under way
when the board directed Secretary J.
W Nelson 10 advertise for bids for
The dredging OF a channel, the material
removed from the bay IN making deep
water TO be used for reclamation of the
area back Of the proposed retaining
wall The dredgers viii work up to
the rock wall, providing a minimum
depth Of 80 feet along the whole 1000
feet frontage which the wall VIII make
in the Key Route basin. In the dredg-
ing and the reclamation Of manufactur-
les land the city viii expend. accord
ing to City Engineer Turner's estimate.
F35o.oO0. To defray the whole cost of
tile Key Route basin development the
municipality has the funds in the treas
lIA or at command out Of the recent
bond issue for harbor Improvement
MEANS INLAND HARBOR
The project means the creation Of an
inland harbor on the east bay shore
equal i'm area 10 many international
trade harbors. The city viii own abso-
iutely the quay wall facing the basin
on three sides. and the wall will be
constructed SO that piers may be added
III 1uture years il required by com
nerce. thus trebling the dockage space.
sack OF the quay wall will he land
created by the city. with streets in
tersecung, accessible to three trans
continental railroads through switching
Laciiities which the city viii provide.
rms property viii be worth $4,000. 600
when filed and unimproved The bed
~ the bay to the bulkhesd line be-
longs TO the state; the next legislature
VIII be asked TO deed the property in
lee simple 10 the city.
The completion of the project as II
now is proposed means the deveIon-
ment Of wharfng space extending :. 600
ieet around the shore Of the Key Rol,te
undisputed possession. Munfcipal
wharVes viii line the south shore of
the basin, formed by the Southern Pa
cilc pier. and the east shore. formed bv
the proposed retaining wall Along
The north viii be the docks to con-
struct which the Key Route interests
have obtained from the city fran
cbise
DE7 ELOPMENT or BASIN
The development Of the basin as
planned and being carried out by the
city is in strict accordance with the
reQuirements laid1dOwn by the war
department Of the federal government.
That department, on recommendation
~ the harbor line board Of army en-
stneers IN charge Of San Francisco bay
Save the city permission to fill out to
q pctnt 1000 feet west of the old bulk
head line This made possible the crea
ton of the 900 acres of water front
0n6 The department gave permission
for the Key Route to iii solid its pier.
whica viii protect the dredged channel
fr9n shoaling by the silt from the
Sa.l8mento river system. The require
niea- was that the work should be done
on plans approved by the army en-
Eineers. commenced within one wear
and completed within six. The plans
cra Wn under the direction Of City En-
Eifeer Turner have been approved by
Colonel John BiIdle, L. s. A. in charge
If rivers and harbors, as well as by
colonel ". II. Heuer consulting en-
gireer for the city AS for the other
federal requirements the city is com
nenring work within 4 few months
aftor the permit was given. The pro-
sect VIII be completed wen within the
six year limit
CITY's PLANS SANCTIONED
This method Of utilizing the Key
Route basin for municipal water 'front.'
age was conceived by the present board
Of public works when it was seen
clearly that the negotiations with the
southern Pacific company would make
absolute the city's control of its har-
Dor. Mayor Frank X. Mott and City
Engineer Turner took the municipal
itys cause before the army engineers
in charge. with the result that the
Citys plans were sanctioned in full by
the war department. The mayor car
ried on all dealings with the Key Route
and Southern Pacific companies. on the
outcome of which depended the project.
Turner prepared detailed plans which
haye been approved. and the project
is now i'm such shape that ii may
he carried through without any
delay and without any expense
which the city has not the money to
meet The western water front pro-
ject. as now under way. is regarded by
engineers as of far greater Importance
20 the city than il was even when the
harbOr bonds were voted. 1t is a more
comprehensive scheme at the same cost.
such is the view taken by Colonel
Heuer. the consulting engineer. who
has said that the city will obtain
through the project an unsurpassed
aarbor at minimum cost
80 DELAY IN WORK
There will be no delay in complet-
~-E the work" said Mayor Mott The
administration has its plans ovnsDrete
and the city had already provided the
money. The contract TO be let for
dredging and reclaiming the land. at
about $3.50 600. will be a record in
municipal harbor work on the coast.
The project means that We viii obtain
a great deep water harbor with un-
eoualed land for manufactory sites.
an owned by the city. That means that
business viii surely come here, for the
-itv will be able to lease land fronting
"a an oceanic harbor. with railroads in
sccess. at rates which viii attract big
business"
In connection with the city work in
the basin the Key Route enterprise of
nlling the pier, dredging a channel and
reclaiming land back of that the city