One Step Closer

The San Francisco Port Commission voted 3-0 yesterday on two proposals to host the 34th America’s Cup on the San Francisco waterfront. The overflow crowd of about 100 people was joined by a cadre of local mainstream media to hear the arguments for and against the two proposed locations for the Cup. After a presentation by Port staff member Jonathan Stern outlining the pros and cons of the two plans — one on the southeastern waterfront that primarily utilizes Piers 30-32 and 50 for the event, and the other on the northeastern waterfront utilizing Piers 19, 23, 27 and 30-32 — there was vigorous public comment.

Almost all of the comments were prefaced by "I(we) support bringing the America’s Cup to San Francisco, but . . . ." The "buts" were divided primarily into three categories. The first was that hosting the event should not come at the expense of funneling revenue from the Port to other parts of City government or the Event Authority. The second was that it should be done with the least possible disruption to long-term tenants and Port maintenance facilities — all of which are located on Pier 50. The third was voiced by various union representatives who objected to the Jones Act waivers that are outlined in the Host City Agreement, which would allow foreign-flagged vessels to operate commercially on the Bay in order to attract superyachts.

Although they unanimously agreed to both proposals, the three-member Port Commission of Rodney Fong, Anne Lazarus and Kimberly Brandon expressed their support for the northeastern proposal, one that could dovetail into the long-proposed cruise ship terminal at Pier 27. The ultimate takeaway from the meeting was that there’s a lot of support out there for the Cup, and we’re one step closer to a victory announcement.