The vision to rehabilitate the Presidio’s Fort Scott as a center for social change came one step closer to realization Friday when four teams presented a single proposal to develop the 30-acre site. Dubbed the Fort Winfield Scott Campus for Change, the project is a collaboration among four organizations chosen by the Presidio Trust last fall. They were tasked with submitting proposals detailing their concepts for the land with its Mission Revival Army barracks and other buildings from the World War I era organized around a horseshoe-shaped parade ground. “We’re really looking for a unified campus focused on environmental and social change,” said project manager Josh Bagley. Fort Scott has a history of service, and land-use documents going back to the 1990s have included an emphasis on environmental sustainability, he said. This project would continue that focus. Of the four organizations involved, three would have posts on the campus and work to improve a specific social problem. They are the California Clean Energy Fund with the EPIC Institute, the World Economic Forum and OpenAI. The fourth, the We Company, would manage the campus. The EPIC Institute would establish the Epicenter for Climate Solutions at Fort Scott and focus on entrepreneurial and market-based solutions to climate change. OpenAI, a think tank that lists Elon Musk and Peter Thiel as sponsors, would research artificial intelligence. The World Economic Forum, which hosts the high-profile summit at Davos in Switzerland each year, is proposing the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which would study technological advancement and how it impacts work. The Fort Winfield Scott Campus for Change would also host classrooms, incubator space for startups, multipurpose and community space, community gardens, public plazas, an observatory and a transit center. We Company, best known for its WeWork co-working facilities, would provide collaborative work spaces and oversee management of the campus, which would include event programming and facilities maintenance. The redevelopment is estimated to cost more than $200 million, which developers said would come from socially responsible investors, tax credits and the campus’ member organizations. The groups housed on the campus would also pay rent to the Presidio Trust, according to the proposal. The goal of the ambitious project as described by the Presidio Trust is to attract mission-driven, socially conscious organizations to redevelop Fort Scott as a center for engagement on contemporary issues. The process began last January, when the trust issued a request for proposals to rehabilitate the historic army fort. Nine teams initially submitted proposals, and, in September, trust staff whittled the options down to four. The trust decided in January to allow the four organizations to submit a “single, consolidated proposal.” To view the full proposal, go to: https://bit.ly/2FbAnqu Members of the public can share their thoughts on the plan during two upcoming Presidio Trust board meetings. 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop, San Francisco. 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, also at the Golden Gate Club. People can also email comments to fortscott@presidiotrust.gov, or send mail to Presidio Trust, Attn: Josh Bagley, 103 Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA 94129, by May 15. For further information, visit www.presidio.gov to learn more about the project and the selection process. Each proposal had to fulfill five criteria: plans to rehabilitate the 22 historic buildings on Fort Scott, be environmentally sustainable, be financially sustainable, protect the natural environment and engage the public. The Presidio Trust board of directors is expected to make a decision about the proposal at its May 23 public meeting. The board will evaluate the proposal based on the five criteria and either approve the plan, recommend changes or reject it. Ashley McBride is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ashleynmcb
WeWork was among four organisations that presented a consolidated proposal for the redevelopment of Presidio Fort Winfield Scott in San Francisco. The group, which includes the California Clean Energy Funds with the EPIC Institute, the Elon Musk- and Peter Thiel-backed Open AI and the World Economic Forum submitted plans to convert the 30-acre historic former military base into a campus focused on environmental and social change. Under the proposal, WeWork will provide co-workspace and oversee management of the campus, which will host classrooms and incubator space for start-ups, while the other organisations will have a presence on the campus to carry out work aiming to improve a specific social issues.