Big Decisions Looming for Crissy Field in S.F.'s Presidio

With three final proposals under consideration, the highest possible cultural and historical stakes, and a Star Wars angle, the future of Crissy Field and its historic commissary is the center of a loud debate in the Bay Area.

Charles Birnbaum provides a thorough treatment of the context and possibilities for the decision, and just why the final decision by the Presidio Trust, expected by some in early 2014, is of such significance: “the current, rather frothy debate about proposed development at Crissy Field in the Presidio at San Francisco's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which arguably ranks in significance with New York's Central Park and Washington, DC's National Mall, deserves more national attention.”

The three finalists for the development, each detailed by Birnbaum and with their own supporters and detractors, include the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum: “an institution based on filmmaker George Lucas' art collection, which "showcases art through the lens of innovation and storytelling ... from the Golden Age of Illustration to landmark achievements in filmmaking and cinematic design, to groundbreaking digital work."

Many, including San Francisco Chronicle Architecture Critic John King, think none of the proposals are suitable for the site.