Treasure Island (California) - History

History

Treasure Island was built with imported fill on shoals on the north side of Yerba Buena Island for the Expo in 1939. The connected Yerba Buena Island sits in the middle of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge. Built by the federal government, Treasure Island was planned for and used as an airport for Pan American World Airways flying boats, of which the China Clipper is an example. Full construction of Pan Am's headquarters was diverted. Instead, Treasure Island’s first role was to host the 1939-40 World’s Fair, Golden Gate International Exposition. Themes for the Fair were Pacific Unity, Peace and Innovation. For two years, tourists and locals alike were enthralled by many international pavilions and exhibits, lush gardens, dramatic nighttime lighting displays, lively entertainment, and striking public art. After the fair, the Island was scheduled to be used as an airport until the Navy offered to exchange Mills Field on the San Francisco Peninsula near the city of Millbrae for the island. The City and County of San Francisco accepted the swap, and the airport was built at Mills Field.

During World War II, Treasure Island became part of the Treasure Island Naval Base, and served as a training center for nuclear decontamination, an electronics and radio communications training school, and as the major Navy departure point for sailors in the Pacific.

During the 1980s Treasure Island was used by the U.S. Navy for shipboard fire fighting and damage control training for Hull Maintenance Technicians, and other sailors. Treasure Island housed the "Buttercup" which was a static damage control trainer that was used for real time shipboard battle damage repair and control.

Additionally, the Hull Maintenance Technician Training School Phase "A" was trained at Treasure Island for Nuclear, Biological, Radiological and Chemical Warfare Training as part of their phase "A" and phase "B" training.

In 1996, Treasure Island and the Presidio Army Post were decommissioned and opened to public control, under stipulations. Treasure Island is now part of District 6 of the City and County of San Francisco, though it is still owned by the Navy. In 1993, the naval station was selected for closure, and Navy operations ended there in 1997. Some of the property was transferred to the Federal Highway Administration, the Labor Department and the U.S. Coast Guard, and the rest is open for development.

Problems have arisen over the determination of Treasure Island's fair-market value. The city's redevelopment agency, The Treasure Island Development Authority, valued the land at $13.8 million, and the city offered the Navy $40 million for the property. Two other estimates determined the fair market value at $250 million. However, in 2008 Congress offered the publicly held property to the city of San Francisco for nothing, under Section 2711 of HR 2647, drafted by Rep. Sam Farr.