Letterman Residential Project

The Presidio Trust is proposing to develop a site within the Letterman District to add much needed housing, create a more inviting park experience, and earn revenue to help bring this beautiful national park site to everyone.

About the Project

Next Step in the Vision for the Presidio

For many years, we’ve successfully brought to life the Presidio Trust Management Plan, which has guided the Presidio’s transformation from an Army post to one of America’s most visited national park sites. The plan lays out a vision for creating a great park that is open to everyone and that can pay its own way, operating without annual support from taxpayers.

After years of revitalizing buildings and open spaces, the Presidio is a wonderful place to live, work, and visit. The Letterman Residential Project is the next step in that vision.

“The Trust will consider removal and replacement of non-historic housing in previously developed areas west of the historic complex, to provide more compatible residential structures close to work sites. These proposed changes would enhance the historic setting and reinforce the coherent, pedestrian-oriented character of the complex.” ~ from the Presidio Trust Management Plan

The Letterman Residential Project would reimagine 4.6 acres of the 60-acre district once occupied by the Army’s Letterman General Hospital. Built beginning in 1898, the hospital grew to be the most densely developed part of the Presidio.

Our project calls for building six low-scale buildings at the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Girard Road. The buildings would be compatible in design to the architecture found in the Presidio’s Letterman District, reestablishing the character and layout of this historic area. The new buildings would replace unoccupied, non-historic buildings constructed in the mid-1970s.

Adding Housing to the Presidio

The Letterman Residential Project would provide a mix of 196 studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, adding much needed housing to the Presidio. The housing would meet the U.S. Green Building Council LEED for Homes Gold standard and be located near transit stops for MUNI, Golden Gate Transit, and the Presidio GO Shuttle.

The homes would be located within three two-story stand-alone walk-up buildings with 17 to 31 units per building, and three three-story buildings connected via bridges at levels two and three, with 42 to 46 units per building. The project would be within the 160,000 square foot limit called for in the Presidio Trust Management Plan (see p. 101-107).

Creating a More Inviting Park Experience

This project would help revitalize the corridor that takes visitors from the Marina Gate towards the heart of the Presidio. Improvements at the Edie Road and Girard Road intersection would make travel safer and more comfortable for people walking and biking. New plantings and green stormwater infrastructure would beautify the area and blend it seamlessly with the rest of the park.

Helping to Fund a Great Park

Unlike other national park sites, the Presidio Trust doesn’t get an annual appropriation from Congress – we must generate our own revenue. We’re able to deliver a beautiful, safe, and clean park to everyone with no entrance fee using the money we earn from renting park buildings.

Revenue earned from the Letterman Residential Project would go right back into supporting the Presidio. Last year, income from the Trust’s residential portfolio made up nearly 35% of the annual budget to operate the park.

Summary of Project Goals

• Add housing to the Presidio
• Restore the historic character of the area
• Make the area more inviting for the public
• Earn revenue to operate and maintain the Presidio

Next Steps

Our next step is to review potential environmental impacts, with opportunities for public input (see the Environmental Assessment section below). We’ll also review the design with the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service to ensure compatibility with the design guidelines.

The Letterman Residential Project is one of several park improvements we’re completing over the next several years to upgrade the Presidio’s infrastructure, enhance its open spaces, and create more space for people to live and work. We call this Presidio Forward.