Martin has taken over at a moment when much of the port\u2019s property is slated for investments aimed at expanding tourism, producing more housing, and increasing resilience while preserving elements of its working character and enhancing its public accessibility.<\/p>\n
Putting wind in the sails of those plans is the fact that the port is coming out of a post-COVID-19 lull in a good position financially, driven in part by a strongly rebounding cruise-ship business and ferry ridership that is exceeding pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe port is in a really good space right now,\u201d Martin said. \u201cWe recovered more quickly from the pandemic downturn than we expected. Our revenues now exceed pre-pandemic revenues.\u201d<\/p>\n
As an \u201centerprise agency,\u201d the port does not get money from The City\u2019s general fund and thus must generate its own income. Its fiscal 2026-27 budget projected $148.3 million in operating revenue against $131.2 million in operating expenses.<\/p>\n
The port nevertheless has growing bills and extensive deferred maintenance to manage, and it\u2019s actively seeking new forms of revenue, including additions to its roster of 550 commercial tenants, Martin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have vacant space available of lots of different types,\u201d he said. \u201cWe used to be very passive. People would show up and say, \u2018Do you have space?\u2019 We would show them space. But now we\u2019re trying to go out and say, \u2018Where is that next tenant.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The port is also exploring the feasibility of establishing an electrified secondary terminal for cruise ships. Currently, cruise ships dock at Pier 27 and sometimes at Pier 35.<\/p>\n
In 2025, nearly 370,000 cruise passengers passed through San Francisco, with almost 90 vessel calls. The record of more than 392,000 passengers was set in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cCruise has come back really strong from the pandemic, and it\u2019s been a really great thing not only for our portfolio but for tourism in The City,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t gotten to the point where we\u2019re talking to cruise lines, but I see that\u2019s something on the horizon that we\u2019d like to see expand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The port recently increased its commitment to offering a welcoming environment for visitors and others, he said. The agency joined the Downtown SF Partnership<\/a>, a newly expanded community-benefit district that will field ambassadors around the Ferry Building, provide round-the-clock cleaning and security services, and help coordinate entertainment and other activities along the waterfront.<\/p>\n Under the management of Hudson Pacific Properties, the Ferry Building has been a downtown standout for its thriving office and retail.<\/p>\n \u201cThis hub is getting better and better, and we want to really double down on that,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n Another example of the port\u2019s business-oriented tactics came one day after Martin\u2019s appointment. That\u2019s when the agency launched its Blue Economy Initiative, an incubator program of sorts that offers discounts of up to 50% on waterfront leases for qualifying companies developing sustainable maritime and environmental technologies.<\/p>\n One of the first two applications the port has received is from a company developing technology for remote-controlled crab traps meant to help prevent whales from getting entangled in ropes \u2014 a concern that regularly leads to truncated crabbing seasons, which limits boat operators\u2019 income, Martin said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Muttville and the SF SPCA are participating in a national campaign that removes pet-adoption costs and addresses overcrowding in facilities\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Scott Wiener honored the longtime SF Symphony conductor in the Legislature\u2019s upper house; a memorial concert in The City is also on the horizon<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The state senator said the chatbot was intended to show\u00a0his electoral rival as obstructionist, but Rep. Nancy Pelosi and others said it showed \u2018willingness to erase wo\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to keep the crab season alive, keep supporting our fishing industry, which is such a critical part of what makes Fisherman\u2019s Wharf Fisherman\u2019s Wharf,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Martin said that a large part of his mission \u2014 in keeping with the public-trust goal of making the waterfront publicly accessible \u2014 is to get more people to come to the waterfront, whether they be locals; visitors from afar drawn by restaurants, shops or art installations; or workers at companies leasing port property.<\/p>\n To that end, the Port has its initial phase of its $10 million Fisherman\u2019s Wharf Forward initiative, which seeks to overhaul the popular tourist attraction with a new public plaza and lagoon overlook \u2014 replacing a defunct restaurant \u2014 as well as new lighting.<\/p>\n Other plans include more events, strengthening dock and pier infrastructure deemed vulnerable to earthquake damage, improving fishing-fleet infrastructure, and developing retail opportunities. The plaza, a new barbeque restaurant and a taproom are expected to open to the public in about a month.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are looking at this more from a business perspective,\u201d Martin said. \u201cHow do we keep people coming back \u2014 not just visitors, but locals \u2014 so that our businesses thrive and it lifts all boats, to use an overused nautical metaphor?\u201d<\/p>\n Bri Maughan, executive director of the Fisherman\u2019s Wharf district, issued a statement upon Martin\u2019s appointment saying her members were grateful for his \u201ccollaborative approach and understanding of the Port\u2019s vital role in supporting the Wharf\u2019s maritime heritage, visitor economy, and future success.\u201d<\/p>\n The port is also increasingly looking to arts and entertainment as a draw.<\/p>\n Martin said he\u2019s hopeful about a proposal to build a new Teatro ZinZanni dinner theater venue by the bay in connection with a new hotel nearby. The theater previously had a spot on the waterfront but closed to make way for the America\u2019s Cup.<\/p>\n In addition, later this year, Martin said he expects an opening of the much anticipated Art + Water<\/a> arts campus at Pier 29 that is being developed by the Community Arts Stabilization Trust together with author Dave Eggers and city Arts Commissioner JD Beltran.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think it\u2019s a great way to bring people to the waterfront, and we want to see more of it,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n On the real-estate development front, there are multiple large-scale projects in various stages of planning.<\/p>\n At Mission Rock, the San Francisco Giants and Tishman Speyer have been developing a block of port land across McCovey Cove just to the south of the club\u2019s baseball park. Included in the first phase were a cluster of four buildings \u2014 two residential, two for offices \u2014 as well as retail space and the five-acre China Basin Park.<\/p>\n Now, with The City showing stronger signs of economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the port\u2019s staff in June proposed \u2014 and the Port Commission subsequently approved \u2014 making a $10 million investment for predevelopment and infrastructure design to jump-start development of more buildings.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re excited to see that starting back up again,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, at Pier 70 in the Dogpatch, the firm BGRE is moving ahead with another mixed-use project on port land. The company recently proposed increasing the planned number of homes at its 28-acre waterfront development from up to 2,150 to as many as 2,750.<\/p>\n Groundbreaking for the next phase of development \u2014 involving up to 450,000 square feet of office space and up to 700 residences \u2014 is targeted for late 2027.<\/p>\n Renovation of Building 12, a football-field-sized former shipbuilding structure at the site, has already been completed, and it is 90% leased, with tenants including a brewer, a baker, artists, and a padel and pickleball club.<\/p>\n At the same property, development is underway for Elevation Sky Park, an immersive entertainment venue that will offer shows with light projections in domes. The first show is scheduled for September 19.<\/p>\n \u201cThat central waterfront is just hopping with leasing interest,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n But the biggest investments the port will have to manage will be aimed at increasing the resilience of the waterfront to earthquakes and sea-level rise. Parts of the seawall are more than 100 years old, and some wharves were constructed on landfill. The port recently produced a final plan and is engaging with the public on its recommendations.<\/p>\n
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