An ambitious floating swimming pool project is being planned for San Francisco Bay, along with a total transformation of the current Piers 30 to 32, along the Embarcadero. The plan, which was originally proposed by Strada Investment Group and Trammell Crow Company in 2020, got a huge boost this March when State Senator Scott Wiener introduced a bill authorizing the construction of the Olympic-sized floating pool that would be surrounded by retail and office space.

Specifically, SB 273 authorizes the State Lands Commission to approve the project, which adds public recreation (including a public pool), authorizes retail and office uses, rebuilds the dilapidated piers, —currently used for parking — making them seismically safe and reducing sea level rise risk. It also removes acres of bay fill (thus creating more open water) and opens an adjacent project to produce hundreds of units of housing, including affordable housing.

If Wiener’s bill passes, developers will seek approval from other city and state agencies.

The plan has its opponents, but nearly everyone agrees that something should be done because the piers are in bad shape.

“They’re gradually just falling apart and falling into the bay,” Weiner said. “They need to be redeveloped. There have been various proposals over the years that haven’t panned out. We have a proposal now that is very, very strong.”

If the project is approved, the stateof- the-art pool would offer swimmers spectacular views of the city skyline and Bay Bridge. Organizers say activities would include water polo, synchronized swimming, and swim lessons. They said they originally put the plan into motion because of the lack of publicly accessible swimming pools in the Bay Area.

A section of the bay surrounding the pool would be used for open water swimming, kayaking, and paddle boarding. Renderings also show space to dock cruise ships.

With Senator Weiner’s bill, San Francisco’s Embarcadero may be just years away from getting a much-needed makeover.

“I’m proud to introduce this new legislation and partner with the Port of San Francisco to make our waterfront stronger, safer, more sustainable, and more vibrant,” he said.

Proposed San Francisco Bay swimming pool Photo taken from proposal by Strada.