PRESS RELEASE - City and Community Volunteers Celebrate Start of Construction on SF's New and Improved Animal Care and Control Shelter - 5/15/2019

For immediate release: May 15, 2019

Contact: Bryan Dahl, San Francisco Public Works

415-554-6939

 

 

Reuse of Historic Structure Ensures Seismic-Safety and Animal Welfare Upgrades

 

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed joined City officials and more than 100 community volunteers at a ceremonial groundbreaking event today, commemorating the start of construction on the new San Francisco Animal Care and Control facility in the Mission District.

 

San Francisco Animal Care and Control (SFACC) kicked off construction on a new  state-of-the-art animal shelter at 1419 Bryant St. The facility will allow SFACC to fulfill its responsibilities as San Francisco’s first responder for all domestic and wildlife animal emergencies and to better serve the City’s population of lost, abandoned, sick and injured animals.

 

Upon its anticipated completion in winter 2021, the facility will be seismically safe and equipped to continue emergency operations for up to 72 hours after a major earthquake or other disaster, providing the necessary safety and care for its shelter animals, as well as additional services and temporary accommodations for San Francisco pets. It will provide peace of mind for pet owners in times of crisis, while also ensuring its everyday conditions are safe, sanitary, humane and in line with best-practice animal health and welfare standards.

 

“In San Francisco, we know that our critical infrastructure and first-responder facilities need to be able to provide uninterrupted and reliable service immediately after disaster strikes,” said Mayor Breed. “Once this project is complete, Animal Care and Control will be housed in a resilient and modern facility with the strength to withstand the next major earthquake.”

 

With nearly double the square footage of the current SFACC facility located nearby at 1200-15th St., the new 65,000-square-foot shelter will include a modernized veterinary suite, adoption center, expanded play and training areas for all animals and larger education spaces to serve the public, animal care staff and volunteers. Collectively, the volunteer team gives more than 27,000 hours of time annually.

 

The new facility will have better ventilation, improved cleaning systems to reduce the spread of disease and mechanisms that more effectively control noise and odors.  Every year, the shelter cares for nearly 10,000 animals, from dogs and cats to bunnies and parakeets, not to mention pigs, goats, squirrels, lizards and other creatures.

 

“We are thrilled to take this next step in our journey,” said SFACC Executive Director Virginia Donohue. “The new building will allow Animal Care and Control to advance our mission to care for and protect San Francisco’s animals and support the people who love them.  We are extremely grateful for the City’s commitment to building a sustainable future for all of San Francisco’s animals.”

 

Since 1989, SFACC has operated out of a former Depression-era warehouse that lacks adequate space for the animals, staff and volunteers, and does not meet current earthquake and other life-safety building codes.

 

The $76.5 million project, which is part of the San Francisco 10-Year Capital Plan, is being funded primarily with Certificates of Participation proceeds. Certificates of Participation are a source of funding used for the acquisition or improvement of existing or new facilities; they often are backed by physical assets in the City’s capital portfolio and repayments are appropriated each year out of the General Fund.

 

“This state-of-the-art and seismically safe animal shelter would not have been made possible without San Francisco’s 10-Year Capital Plan,” said City Administrator Naomi M. Kelly. “The City’s fiscally constrained expenditure plan prioritizes and invests in our infrastructure to ensure that we build a more resilient and vibrant future for the residents, workers, visitors and pets of San Francisco.”

 

The relocation project involves the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of the original Market Street Railway Company powerhouse, built in 1893. This unreinforced masonry building is a contributing resource to the historic Showplace Square District, which is known for its brick warehouses and factories that were constructed in the late 1800s, and is eligible for listing on the state and national registers of historic places. It most recently was used as the overhead lines maintenance center for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which relocated its operation to the Bayview.

 

The new Animal Care and Control facility will be constructed within the original warehouse footprint and the building will retain its historic brick façade and industrial wood windows, while the structure will be repurposed to house a modern, multi-level facility.

 

“Public Works is proud to be working on this important project on behalf of San Francisco Animal Care and Control and the people of San Francisco,” said San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. “Transforming this historic warehouse into a brand-new, fully functional animal shelter showcases the City’s innovation and commitment to safeguarding our communities.”

 

On behalf of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, Public Works designed the new facility and is managing construction. Clark Construction is the general contractor.

 

The nonprofit group, Friends of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, has committed to raise additional funds to help pay for new furnishings and equipment befitting the world-class facility.

 

“It's not just animals that rely on SFACC – families do, too,” said former Supervisor Katy Tang, who was instrumental in securing support and funding for the project. “When someone no longer can care for their animal, whether due to an eviction or health issue, SFACC is there for them. When an animal is lost, SFACC is there to receive animals and help reunite them with their families. A new, much more functional animal shelter is essential to the critical services that SFACC provides for our city.”

 

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