SOMA Street Tree Nursery Site Improvements
San Francisco
BEST PROJECT
Submitted by: Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction Inc.
Owner: Bureau of Urban Forestry, San Francisco Public Works, City and County of San Francisco
Lead Design Firm: Bureau of Landscape Architecture, San Francisco Public Works
General Contractor: Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction Inc.
Civil/MEP Engineer: Streets and Highways, Bureau of Engineering, San Francisco Public Works
Structural Engineer: Structural Engineering Section, Bureau of Engineering, San Francisco Public Works
Subcontractors: Leyder Electric LLC; UrbanBloc Inc.; Anco Iron & Construction Inc.; Priority Architectural Graphics Inc.; Pioneer Contractors Inc.
An overgrown, trash-strewn lot between two downtown freeway ramps now serves as a nursery to raise trees suited specifically to San Francisco’s varied microclimates. This $3.1-million project will contribute to the city’s green infrastructure and help increase the tree canopy in neglected neighborhoods, which will enhance the quality of life for residents. The nursery will also host a workforce development program to train disadvantaged individuals for jobs in urban forestry.
Scope included two modular buildings that were custom built using shipping containers to provide classroom, office, breakroom and restroom space for workers and volunteers. The site is powered by a photovoltaic electrical system situated on the roof of one modular building and on a pergola built over the second.
This project was originally planned as a simple, $150,000 tree nursery with a rehabilitated trailer. But the team significantly expanded the design and function of the space because of the success of San Francisco Public Works in obtaining grants from California Dept. of Transportation (Caltrans), which owns the property, and from the California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
Photo courtesy San Francisco Public Works
However, this also created a schedule challenge as the team faced multiple redesigns. The contract for design and interior construction of the modular buildings began in January 2023. Crews broke ground in July, and substantial completion—on time and within budget—followed in November.
Meeting the project’s aggressive schedule was a central challenge, as the team was tasked with completing 9-15 months of work within just four months. The goal was to finish in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which would bring world leaders to San Francisco in November 2023, allowing government leaders to showcase the innovative nursery during the summit.
The only way to make this work was for SFPW and Yerba Buena’s team to design and construct key elements concurrently. After a partnering kickoff meeting on June 27, crews broke ground on July 5, with the entire team aiming to find ways to expedite any aspect of the design that they could.