The current economic climate has impacted everyone, every business, every town and city, and every nation. So everywhere you will find novel ideas coming to light on ways to survive the recession. One such example is the current consideration by the Marin County officials to sell off the San Quentin prison facility to generate a significant economic boost to the area.
Much like its more famous neighbor in the bay, Alcatraz, which garners so much attention on visitors’ San Francisco tours, the San Quentin prison facility has magnificent views of the San Francisco Bay as it sits on the water’s edge. The location and its size – 432 acres – make it ideal for redevelopment into a use that would make good use of its beautiful location. The facility was built so long ago, that there was nothing around it, so building the prison in a manner that used precious waterfront didn’t appear to be the poor choice that it appears today.
Developers are chomping at the bit for a chance to gain such a significant and pristine parcel of waterfront, but other considerations are being weighed such as the rebuilding of a replacement facility, and the prospect of displacing workers. Overriding those considerations though may be the need to refurbish the current property and that may force the property’s transition and leave only on prison on the bay for those on San Francisco tours to ogle.
