After 10 years of planning, Pier 70 broke ground on Thursday. The 28-acre waterfront mixed-use neighborhood will provide housing, waterfront parks, artist space, local manufacturing and rehabilitated historic buildings.

The project is a public-private partnership between the Port of San Francisco and developer Forest City. The city unanimously approved the project in November. Pier 70 also was the first waterfront project requiring a citywide vote under Prop B and received 73% of the vote. Prop B requires a vote for any projects that exceed height limits along the waterfront.

The project will deliver over $750M in public benefits, such as transit improvements, according to San Francisco Supervisor Malia Cohen. The developer also achieved 30% local hires and a housing program that gives District 10 residents preferred status for affordable housing at the site, she said. District 10 includes Bayview Hunters Point, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods.

The project will build 1,100 to 2,150 residential units, including 30% on-site affordable units. Of the affordable units, 65% will be rentals. The development will have 9 acres of parks and open space, 1.1M SF to 1.75M SF of commercial and up to 480K SF of retail and services, arts and light industrial space and a new waterfront arts facility.

Three historic structures will be rehabilitated, including the 120K SF Building 12, which will be turned into a light industrial and craftsmanship hub where products will be made and sold.

A permanently affordable waterfront arts facility with about 90K SF will provide an artist studio for the Noonan Building creative community currently on-site.

The first phase includes building new infrastructure, rehabilitating historic buildings, creating parks and open spaces and opening the waterfront to the public. Development during this phase will include 665 units of market-rate and affordable housing, retail and office space, including 50K SF of makerspace/production, distribution and repair space.

Construction of the first buildings is expected in late 2019. Parks and initial buildings are expected to be completed in 2021-22.

Phase 1 includes protections against sea level rise at the high end of projected 2100 estimates by the state. The grade of the site will be raised and Forest City plans to elevate Building 12 by about 9 feet.

The development team includes general contractor Plant Construction, urban designer SITELAB Urban Studio, landscape architect James Corner Fields Operations, residential architect MBH, architect Pfau Long and civil engineer BKF.

The project is expected to generate over 10,000 construction jobs and 12,000 full-time jobs. The project will be built in three phases over 15 to 20 years.