UCSF Mission Bay Third St Garage

From the UCSF Mission Bay Community listserv:

Today there are sample segments of “channel glass” being installed on the UCSF Mission Bay Third Street Garage—on the north side, facing the plaza.  There will be 6 pieces of new channel glass, and 2 pieces of the old channel glass (side-by-side, for comparison).  The new glass has been sandblasted to give the translucent effect that was originally expected.  You might want to view the mock-up after dark as well as during the day.  If all goes well, the replacement glass will be ordered and targeted for installation in the December 2012-January 2013 timeframe.
 
Please give Barbara Bagot-Lopez your feedback by Monday May 14.

Background:
 
Construction of the UCSF Mission Bay Third Street Garage at Mission Bay campus was completed in 2007.  Upon completion, many people both on and off campus were disappointed with the appearance of the façade, especially along Third Street.  The “channel glass” was transparent, in contrast to the translucence shown in the architectural renderings, and resulted in a clear view of the concrete structure underneath.
 
During the period of time when UCSF was meeting with neighbors in efforts to remedy the problem, some glass started to crack, necessitating the removal of all glass from the garage.  We anticipated that upon settling with the contractor, the replacement glass could be treated to give it a translucent appearance.  It took quite a while for UCSF and the contractor to reach a settlement!
 
While this Garage has tried our patience, it has generated very positive benefits as well.  In 2007, UCSF began donating $5 per car each time a fan who attended a San Francisco Giants game parked at the UCSF Mission Bay Third Street Garage. The first recipient of the funds was the GreenTrust SF Central Waterfront, a community-based nonprofit organization that works to realize a greener central waterfront; they received $58,460. The current recipient is the Blue Greenway project is of the San Francisco Parks Alliance, which has received $33,140 so far.
 
Other UCSF Mission Bay campus news from Sandra Beck of UCSF Capital Programs:
 
Today we opened the courtyard adjacent to the Smith Cardiovascular Research Building, and Nelson Rising Lane now connects through to Third Street.  On Monday, the courtyard between Rock Hall and the new Neurosciences Research Building will open, and the Fifth Street pedestrian path will open a few weeks later.