Passport Resorts, in its local incarnation as the Fort Baker Retreat Group LLC with respected environmental architects on board, beat out two other companies for the job, according to officials with the National Park Service.
The plan to build a conference center on the land tucked under the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge adjacent to Sausalito has drawn the attention of local residents who fear traffic and environmental damage. But it has also drawn support from a wide range of players who know that some development must proceed in order to preserve the historic military structures on the site and protect the natural environment.
Sausalito filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court last year against the National Park Service over the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Fort Baker plan. The $60 million project, prompted by a congressional mandate to make the site financially self sufficient, could have turned the eastern part of the protected land into a retreat with up to 350 hotel rooms, a 25,000-square-foot commercial facility and parking lots to accommodate as many as 2,700 people.
However, the blueprint proposed by the winning developer calls for establishing just 156 rooms, some of which would be "sensitively sited and constructed to fit into the surrounding environment.'' The developers also proposed constructing 20,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant, wellness center and gift shop, among other amenities.
The unsuccessful bidders -- Acquest/Benchmark, which wanted to include a spa, and Historic Restoration Inc., which proposed as many as 227 lodging rooms -- joined the Passport Resorts group at several public presentations to promote their visions.
But following a review by technical experts and the regional park director, Passport won out. Construction is not expected to begin until next year, although the pending lawsuit could delay things even further.
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