The San Francisco call., 1910-11-17
OAKLAND TO MAKE
AN inner HARBOR
War Department Approves the
Plans for Development of
Key Route Basin
Western Water Front Project
Will Add Valuable Domain
to City's Resources

for the development OF the Key Route
basin by the construction Of a sea wall
along the new bulkhead line, the dredg-
ing Of channel, the filling of the space
landward from the seawall. and the
building Of piers
Colonel W II. Heuer, consulting
engineer Of the city, has approved the
construction plans prepared by Turner
and he communicated 10 the board of
public works this morning the sanction
Of the federal officer. He also filed the /
plans and specifications for the en-
bankment. He advised the board to let
contracts for the extension of the /
Thirty-sixth street and Twenty-second |
street sewers, for the sea wall and for |
the dredging TO form the fill back Of |
the rock wall
LARGEST PROJECT ON COAST
This is the largest municipal harbor |
project undertaken at any time on the |
Pacific coast. The federal government |
has removed the bulkhead line outward |
1000 feet TO make the work possible. |
The Key Route has been given permis- |
sion 10 make solid its trestle as a
protection for the harbor basin the city |
will dredge along the proposed sea
wall.
With these preliminaries settled TO |
the city's advantage, Oakland will pro-
ceed at once with the formation of an !
inner harbor. extending between the |
Oakland mole of the Southern Pacific |
company and the Key Route pier.
The sea wall will follow the South |
ern Pacific pier from the mole inward |
10 the new bulkhead line. Thence it |
viii traverse the basin, meeting the |
Key Route trestle where that approach |
crosses the new bulkhead line. From |
the Oakland mole TO the Key Route pier |
the city viii build the sea wall.
Along 10 Route pier will he q
solid I'll. 10 be made by the Key Route, |
which viii turn back silt from the |
basin to be dredged, and form the north |
retaining wall Of the proposed fill and |
sea wall
BOND MONEY ON HAND
The city has money on hand out Of |
the hsrbor bond issue to build the |
sea wall, TO dredge a channel, to make !
the fill Of 500 acres. and TO construct |
three wharves in the basin TO be !
created. These wharves will be at the |
ends Of Seventh. Fourteenth and Thir- |
ty-fourth streets, which will be extended |
through the Key Route property east
OF the low tide line, and on through the
property the city will create to the
. bUlkhead line and sea. wall.
The project the completion Of which
is now a certainty, became so only
through the granting Of the Southern
Pacific franchise for Oakland mole. BY
the terms Of that franchise the South
ern Pacific agrees to remove the long
wharf, which now is an obstruction to
the entrance TO the proposed basin |
The Southern Pacific agrees to extend
Seventh street outward along it's pier |
10 the Oakland mole. This Will provide |
without cost TO the city a street along |
the slough Of the proposed fill. at the |
end Of which will be one Of the muni- |
cipal wharves. BY granting the fran |
chise the city council destroyed all |
opposition 70 the municipal project.
DEEP WATER FRONTAGE
The whole sea wall will give the city F!
frontage on deep water of about 1000
feet. At a comparatively small cost
the city viii prepare the basin. lay its
first three piers and create water front
land ideal for shipping, manufacturing
and warehousing, worth not less than
$4,000, 600. That land will be the prop
erty Of the city Of Oakland.
City Engineer Turner's report to the
works board reads:
L. submit herewith plans and
portion of a rock and earth sea
wall embankment in the Key Route
basin. These plans have been ap-
proved by Colonel W. H. Heuer,
consulting engineer. and have been
submitted TO and have received the
formal official approval Of Briga-
der General Charles E. L. B. Davis.
army, the engineer officer in charge
Of this coast and local district.
LEVEE TO HOLD FILL
This contract should be fmme-
diately followed by a contract for
clamsheIl dredge work TO form the
I'll back Of the rock, the whole
forming. with the Key Route work
q levee To hold the hydraulic fiji
from the channel dredging. After
the clamshell dredging is under
way, contracts for the wharf con-
struction at the ends Of Fourteenth
street and Thirty fourth street and
at the end Of Seventh street and
for the general dredging of the
channel by suction dredge. can be
the whole project.
The result. in my opinion. and in
that Of Colonel Heuer, viii be that
this water front, even with the
funds now available. viii soon be
brought to condition for actual
use at an extremely low cost.
Thirty-sixth street and Twenty
second street-should also be built
at once and plans therefor will be
submitted before your next meet
ing.
append hereto General Davis
formal letter Of approval Of the
bulkhead plans, as provided for in
the permit OF the secretary of war
FORMAL FEDERAL APPROVAL
The letter from General Davis re-
ferred TO by the city engineer follows:
Oakland. Cal=Sir: Replying to
your letter of November 15, 1910 >
submitting plans for filling on the
water front on the western side of
the city, in accorda nee with the
terms Of the permit granted the
city Of Oakland by the secretary
Of war. TO make q solid fill in San
Francisco bay, to certain limits
shown on the chart accompa awning
the permit, said work TO be subject
to the supervision and approval of
this Office. / have TO say that 1 have
this day examined the proposed
plans and find them satisfactory
and in accordance with the terms
Of the permit Very respectfully.
CHARLES Z. L. B. DAVIS.
Brigadier General United States
Army
BIG TRACT FOR FACTORIES
Mayor Frank K. Mott considers the
development of the Key Route basin |
as projected the most important water
front improvement contemplated by
this city, and perhaps the mcst impor-
tant work ever undertak ken for the fu-
ture Of the city
All we had TO do was to apply to |
the federal government" he said, and
obtain permission TO proceed with our /
plans, TO convert stretch OF shallow |