By Angela Johnston, KALW/Crosscurrents
If you drive east on the Bay Bridge out of San Francisco and look down at Treasure Island, it’s hard to miss what look like enormous piles of dirt. These mounds are actually the remains of old Navy barracks, ground into pieces.
Now, they signify some of the first visible steps in the long-talked-about Treasure Island redevelopment. About a year ago, the city of San Francisco broke ground on the project that includes a ferry terminal, shops, restaurants and 8,000 homes. It’s a big deal for a housing-strapped city. KALW listener Jan Burnham heard about the development and thought about the island’s past. The former Navy base there had notorious problems with its cleanup of radioactive materials.
Read the complete story at KALW/Crosscurrents.
For more information on Treasure Island issues, read the Fall 2010 San Francisco Public Press Special Report on Treasure Island.