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last mo.

Treasure Island’s Makeover Gains Steam With Young Residents, New Ferry and First Condo Sales

An SOM master plan envisions 7,000 more homes under ongoing cleanup constraints.

Twenty-eight year old Kevin Costa, left, and Laura Brasil, 27, sit during an “Off the Grid” event at Cityside Park on Treasure Island Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
Copies of a Treasure Island guide are seen inside Mersea Restaurant and Bar in Treasure Island, Calif. on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. According to a recent Chronicle analysis of U.S. Census data, Treasure Island has the highest percentage of people between 22 and 44 in all of San Francisco. The sample size is small because only about 3,000 people currently live there, but the area is expected to undergo major redevelopment over the next 20 to 30 years, with the population there likely soaring to around 19,000 people in that span.
Work is underway on a new park near the apartment of Nathan and Christian Williams on Treasure Island.
Had Seddiqi, 33, left, of San Francisco plays padel with Casey Hultin, 35, of Oakland at Bay Padel on Treasure Island.

Overview

  • The first condo project, 490 Avenue of the Palms, began selling units in the fall, marking a new phase of market-rate housing on the island.
  • A ferry now makes the roughly eight-minute trip to downtown every 15 minutes during peak periods, replacing reliance on a single bus line.
  • The master plan calls for up to 7,000 additional homes over two decades with 300 acres of parks, a 400-slip marina, 500 hotel rooms and added retail.
  • Treasure Island skews young, with about 61% of roughly 2,800 residents aged 18–44 and a median age near 30, even as the poverty rate remains about 23%.
  • Key challenges include unstable fill soils, lingering Navy-era contamination, shoreline armoring and drainage work, and relocation offers for about 1,800 tenants at current rent or an $8,000 payout.