For the city of San Francisco, Treasure Island is a cautionary tale. It asks the question: Just because we can build something, should we?
One thing is certain. As the bay waters climb and the next earthquake rumbles beneath the Pacific Plate, the world will be watching. Whether it sinks or swims, —by the tide, by the earth, and by the court of public opinion. slammed treasure island
For centuries, the very name "Treasure Island" has conjured images of swashbuckling adventure, buried chests, and uncharted maps. But in the 21st century, a different kind of drama is unfolding on the real-world Treasure Island, a 400-acre man-made island in the heart of San Francisco Bay. For the city of San Francisco, Treasure Island
Today, the phrase isn't about pirates. It is the headline dominating local news, city council meetings, and environmental impact reports. From housing policies and toxic waste to climate change and luxury development, Treasure Island is being "slammed"—criticized, battered, and reshaped—from all sides. As the bay waters climb and the next
That military legacy left a curse. When the Navy departed in the 1990s, they left behind a Superfund site: radiological contamination, lead paint, asbestos, and barrels of unknown chemicals buried in the sandy soil. For decades, the island sat in limbo—affordable housing for the working class, but a poisoned chalice for developers.
By J. Parker, Senior Environmental Correspondent
For potential buyers, the gamble is immense. Will this be a brilliant investment in a rising waterfront, or a financial tomb when the sea rises?