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SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE. (a) History of the Area. The Northeast Waterfront District contains commercial warehouse buildings from nearly every decade of San Francisco's history. The area reflects the waterfront storage and maritime activities which, until recently, were an important aspect of San Francisco business history. These buildings range in age from the early clipper ship warehouses of Scotsman Daniel Gibb in the 1850's to the properties owned by the General Engineering and Drydock Co., a company crucial to the shipbuilding effort that made San Francisco Bay the major Pacific maritime support facility during World War II. The original shoreline of Yerba Buena swept in a curve from Montgomery Street to roughly Jackson Street and on to the deeper waters slightly east of Battery. This point was known as Punta del Embarcadero. The cove itself fronting on the settlement was shallow and could be navigated only by small craft of shallow draft. The historic district boundary begins at what was the site of the first deep water landing in San Francisco at Clark's Point. The first vessel to moor at a wharf tied up at this site and discharged cargo in 1848. The first Pacific Mail steamer to arrive in San Francisco disembarked passengers in this area in 1848 and the unique clipper ships built expressly for San Francisco's Gold Rush trade docked in this area in large numbers. During the Gold Rush era, the boundaries of the area were extended eastward by landfill into the Bay in order to create new warehousing space. Large sections of Telegraph Hill were excavated for the fill. In the late 1880's a sea wall was built which settled the eastern boundaries of the area. The clipper ships of the Gold Rush era and paddlewheel steamers of the delta and river trade docked alongside its wharves discharging a multitude of cargo, much of which passed through local warehouses. In the 1880's and 1890's large numbers of iron-hulled square riggers were involved in hauling grain From California's Central Valley to European markets. The new transcontinental trains were loaded on barges from the other side of the Bay and were docked and discharged in this area. A number of ships are presumed to have been buried beneath the fill used to extend the district. A ship buried in 1851 as an extension of Frederick Griffing's wharf was recently unearthed during the excavation for Levi's Plaza on the northern boundary of the district. Many distinguished San Francisco names and firms have been associated with the warehouses in the area: William T. Coleman head of the Vigilante Committee; George Howes, operator of clipper ships; Daniel Gibb, builder of the earliest warehouses in the area which were bought in 1861 by John Sanborn; Charles Minturn, steamboat tycoon; Isaac Friedman, the "Wheat King"; and Samuel Haslett, founder of a leading warehouse firm in the Bay Area. Pioneer firms such as American Bisquit Co., Cowell's Lime and Cement Co., W.P. Fuller Co., the Petri Italian-American Cigar Co., and the California Fruit Packing Co., have major extant structures in the area. After 1906 firms such as Bemis Bag Co., National Ice and Cold Storage, Cudahy Meat Packing, Armour and Co., Ciocca-Lombardi Wine Co., and the Italian-American Canning Co. located in the area. In the 1920's and 1930's the Sunset Press, Security Lithograph, and various typography and lithography operations were set up in the district, reflecting the increasing importance of this industry in San Francisco's economic development. In 1940 General Engineering and Drydock marshalled a number of buildings for ship repair and maintenance during World War II. These warehouse facilities have been in continuous industrial use from the Gold Rush to the mid 1960's. Since that decade showrooms, office and retail uses have been integrated into renovated warehouse structures. The area is architecturally significant as a representation of warehouse and industrial buildings from the brick structures of the Gold Rush era to the reinforced concrete buildings introduced after the turn of the century. Some of the present buildings date from well before the turn of the century, though they were rebuilt after the 1906 fire. Since warehouse architecture did not undergo profound stylistic changes until the introduction of reinforced concrete, the pre- and post-fire brick warehouses embody the original appearance and spirit of the early warehouse district. Of particular note is the block bounded by Front, Battery, Union, and Green streets, the most cohesive extant brick warehouse complex from this era in the City. In addition, cobblestone paving and the standard and narrow gauge belt line railroad track which served the district are visible at the foot of Commerce Street. The area clearly serves as a visual reminder of San Francisco's earlier maritime-warehousing commerce. (b) Basic Nature of the Area. The Historic District includes historically and architecturally significant buildings dating from the 1850's to the present century. The buildings vary in height from approximately six stories closest to the base of Telegraph Hill to a maximum of four stories at The Embarcadero and the Bay. The area was pre-dominantly oriented toward shipping, drayage and warehousing, and is now being converted to low rise office space. The addition of Levi's Plaza on the northern boundary offers a modern structure compatible with the district. (c) Architectural Character. Common architectural features tie the area together and provide visual distinction. Two major building materials were used in the area; brick since the Gold Rush era and reinforced concrete after the 1906 fire. Common architectural elements are repeated throughout the District. Of particular note are the large bulk and minimal fenestration of the earlier warehouse structures. Other common features are scale and proportion, materials, color, texture, and the minimal use of decorative elements. Visual distinction is due in some cases to the original construction plus the carefully designed addition of upper stories as evidenced in the original two-story Cudahy Meat Packing building by Henry Gielfus (1907) with a two-story addition by Ward and Blohme (1918). (d) Uniqueness and Location. The unique quality of the Northeast Waterfront Historic District stems from the fact that so many buildings from approximately 14 decades of San Francisco history are clustered within this nine-block area. Its distinct character is contrasted by Gateway Commons on the south and Levi's Plaza on the north. The district is close to the downtown high-rise core and the Jackson Square Historic District. (e) Visual and Functional Unity. The Historic District has an identifiable character and common architectural features. The primary unifying factors are scale and the texture of the buildings, as well as materials. In terms of function, there has been a continuous transition from the clipper ship services of the 1850's through the warehousing and shipping services of the early twentieth century, to the gradual transformation of warehouses into premium office space within walking distance of the downtown. (f) Dynamic Continuity. The Northeast Waterfront District is an evolving commercial area. The area has proven its capacity for incremental adaption to new uses. Designation as an historic district is intended to complement the economic viability of the area. (g) Benefits to the City and its Residents. Economically, the area in the past has housed specialized enterprises and is currently evolving into a satellite office district of the downtown core. Culturally, it provides a strong historical and educational resource and link with the past. Aesthetically, its architecture and visual appeal are immediate, while its value in terms of urban design within the City pattern as a whole is equally important. (Added Ord. 171-83, App. 4/8/83) SEC. 6. FEATURES. (a) Overall Form and Continuity. Building height is generally within a six-story range, with the higher structures closer to the base of Telegraph Hill and lower buildings near the water. Many of the oldest structures are one or two stories in height. (b) Scale and Proportion. The buildings are of typical warehouse design, large in bulk, often with large arches and openings originally designed for easy vehicular access. There is a regularity of overall form. The earlier brick structures blend easily with the scaled-down Beaux Arts forms of the turn of the century and the plain reinforced-concrete structures characteristic of twentieth century industrial architecture. (c) Fenestration. Minimal glazing is deeply recessed, producing a strong shadow line. The earliest structures have few windows expressing their warehouse function. They are varied in