Assessment of The Public Health Services Hospital, San Francisco Presidio

Architectural Resources Group (ARG) was engaged by the National Park Service (NPS) to evaluate and assess the Public Health Service Hospital (PHSH) at the San Francisco Presidio. Included in the work to be performed by ARG is a review of available documents to be provided by NPS such as existing drawings, data and photographs; prepare two Class C cost estimates in consultation with NPS; conduct a building inspection; and finally, participate in a Round Table meeting with NPS and all Consultants to discuss the building. This Report has been generated as a result of ARG's work. In addition to general information about the PHSH, it includes a review of the Reactivation Master Plan for the Public Health Service Hospital prepared for the City of San Francisco and meeting notes prepared from the Round Table discussion of the building's potential. Photographs and floor plans of the Public Health Services Hospital have been presented for reference only. ARG was not permitted access to the interior of the building to perform a complete survey. The assessment of the PHSH was limited to the Hospital Building itself and the site immediately around the building. Building 1802 was considered only to the extent of housing the mechanical equipment for the PHSH. It was not included in the space planning analysis of the Hospital. For preparation of the evaluation and assessment that follows, the National Park Service provided Architectural Resources Group copies of the Reactivation Master Plan, available existing drawings and a copy of the Building Inventory file prepared as part of Work Order 1 and prints of historical aerial photographs of the site. Architectural Resources Group and their consultants reviewed the available information to prepare the report. Although an exterior survey was conducted, the Army denied access for an interior survey. As a result the report depends on the information provided in. the Reactivation Master Plan and the Building Inventory Survey. No new technical information is presented. As part of the scope of work two cost estimates are presented. The first is for complete demolition of the Public Health Services Hospital and the second is for demolition of the 1951 addition only and restoration of the original south facade of the 1931 building. Although most recently it has been considered for reuse as a health care facility, the Public Health Service Hospital has the potential to house a number of varied new occupancies. The potential for its development ranges between two extremes. At one end of the spectrum is an attempt to retain as much of the existing building systems and floor plan as possible and at the other is the removal and replacement of systems and equipment that are currently in poor condition. It is not intended to imply the PHSH is inappropriate for a health care use, or that a health care use should only be utilized if existing systems are retained. What is important to consider is that the PHSH has a broad range of potential for reuse. Special care should be given to the protection and restoration of the exterior facades of the original 1931 portion of the PHSH. From an historical perspective, the 1951 addition is less sensitive to alteration or possibly even demolition. On the interior few interior spaces and limited amounts of interior fabric can be identified as historically significant or sensitive to change in either building.

Assessment of The Public Health Services Hospital, San Francisco Presidio

Series

See also