I’m at the grand opening of the Salesforce Transit Center & Salesforce Park. Event is about to start so keep it locked here for crucial intel. 
Quick facts: the transit center is a “transportation hub that connects transit systems throughout the Bay Area: AC Transit, Greyhound, Muni, WestCAT, Lynx, Amtrak, and Paratransit with easy connections to BART, Golden Gate Transit, Muni Metro, and Sam Trans.”
The center is designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Project cost was $2.26 billion and funded, in part, by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, the state of Cali, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the SF County Transportation Authority, the city and county of SF, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, and AC Trabsit
The folks at @CurbedSF will be going live with its piece on the center and park, and you are going to be so impressed by the photos Patricia Chang took. A preview:
And we’re live! TJPA Board of Directors Chair Mohammed Nuru is here to start the party.
San Francisco’s unofficial forever mayor Willie Brown is the event’s MC and I appreciate how extra his socks are
Side note: It’s so cool that this is a thing I’m witnessing. Mayor London Breed. Only the second woman to be SF’s mayor, only the second black person to be SF’s mayor, and the first black woman to be SF’s mayor.
FAST FACTS
This thing took nearly 5.5 million hours of labor
25,000 tons of steel make up the framework of the Transit Center
16,000 plants and approximately 600 trees make up the landscaping on the rooftop park
More than 92,000 cubic yards of concrete were recycled from the old Transbay Terminal
Nancy Pelosi talking a lot about how much we need to become less dependent on cars. Wonder how many of the important folks sitting up on stage were brought here and will leave in private vehicles.
This is fun: four levels above ground and two levels below ground, one million square feet and 1,400 feet long. If stood upright, it’d be the tallest building in San Francisco.
The structure, seen here from my desk back in April, is wrapped with a 3,000-foot-long, 44-foot-tall geometric rhombus tiling pattern discovered by Sir Roger Penrose, which can extend infinitely without repeating itself.
District Supervisor Jane Kim is speaking fondly of the cement pouring event and this is the kind of nerding out I am here for. “Wear wedges, not heels!” Kim tells crowd.
The structure, which is on phase 1 of 3, is slated to receive a GOLD LEED certification.
NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEN THE GONDOLA WILL OPEN. I WANT TO RIDE THE GONDOLA.
Let’s talk environmental sustainability. The center uses a 100% greenhouse gas-free electricity supply from Hetch Hetchy Power.
SFMTA Rep Ed Reiskin just said “you can’t spell community without Muni.” This is peak Dad ™️
The @CurbedSF piece is LIVE! Everything you want and need to know is here: sf.curbed.com/2018/8/10/1766…
The Salesforce Transit Center is LIVE
Also why are these people so extra. This giant pair of scissors is cutting a ribbon being held at both ends by people.
We’re all just huddled around this escalator they won’t let us use yet (“five minutes!!”). LET ME INTO THE PARK TO TEST THE SPLASH PAD
This is quite the view.
Kids are already playing in the park 🤗😍☺️
Park symbols
Hi there
Salesforce Tower is literally too tall to fit into one photo!
Salesforce Tower has its own entrance to the park
Very unhappy to report that the gondola isn’t operational yet. Get it together, Boston Properties.
Where I’ll be taking all meetings going forward.
181 Fremont is th only residential tower with dedicated park access
WOW 😮
Ugh couldn’t help myself sorry
Thirsty brands
There’s a lot I like about the rooftop park (I’ll be doing a deep analysis of the plants and trees at a later date), but my favorite thing is how the surrounding architecture is on full display.
Yeah, I think it’s fair to say this is a successful park opening. I hope someone is taking drone photos.
