Silos in San Francisco eyed for demolition

The Port of San Francisco reportedly has filed demolition permits for the dismantling of several 190-foot high abandoned grain silos located at Pier 90 in San Francisco.

A fiscal year 2023 report by the port authority says the structures formerly used to store grain but have been unused since 1989 and have become a "life-safety hazard and ongoing maintenance and security expense.”

The predominant silo material appears to be concrete, while adjacent structures appear to be made of steel. According to a report from ArtAndArchitecture-sf.com, the set of silos can hold 500,000 bushels of grain.

The port agency indicates most of those adjacent structures also would be demolished under a plan that would vacate a 2.75-acre site for potential future development. The property is owned by the city and the Port of San Francisco, although those agencies reportedly intend to sell the land if demolition is approved and gets underway.

A  from SFYIMBY quotes documentation tied to the According to the permit request, redevelopment currently consists of “a future as yet unidentified project.”

A writeup on the history of the silos published in 2022 refers to the grain storage complex as “the most mammoth—and visually stunning—industrial building still standing in San Francisco.”

In 1971, after a fire three years prior, the San Francisco Port Authority invested $6.5 million at the site in a new grain elevator and loading system, doubling the terminal’s capacity.

The ArtAndArchitecture-sf.com description says the grain terminal was used in the 1970s to export grains to Russia during its severe drought.

A timeline for any potential demolition work at the site is currently unknown.