Photos of Historic Mare Island
Mare Island - Vallejo
VALLEJO, Calif. - Mare
Island, an ideal stop on your California Beach vacation, was once a military
installation near San Francisco Bay but now combines an historic location
with new housing developments. Recently constructed homes feature bay
views, a golf course nearby and just over the
Mare Island Causeway Bridge,
a ferry for commuting to San Francisco. With Mare Island Straits on the east
and northern San Pablo Bay to the west, the Island enjoys some of the most
spectacular views in the entire San Francisco Bay area.
On April 19, 2002 the U.S.
Navy’s flag was lowered for the last time today in a ceremony on Mare Island
symbolizing the beginning of a new era at the former naval shipyard which
was established in 1854 as the first naval facility on the Pacific Coast.
Mare Island Naval Shipyard served the United States at Mare Island for about
150 years.
Conversion of the island to civilian use, Mare Island is the largest
military facility in the nation to be transferred to civilians. A
celebration was held at Mare Island’s historic Alden Park a month after the
Department of Defense transferred 650 acres of Mare Island to the City of
Vallejo, which in turn passed on the property to Lennar Mare Island. Lennar
Mare Island was chosen in 1997 to implement the extensive reuse plan which
calls for creation of 8,000 to 10,000 jobs and 7 million square feet of
commercial office space, 1,400 residential units and recreational
opportunities for Bay Area residents.
Environmental cleanup,
expected to take three to five years, will be paid by the U.S. Navy and
overseen by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). At
one point in its history, more than 40,000 men and women worked at the
island’s drydocks, shops and warehouses. The reuse plan calls for
preservation of many of the island’s historic buildings while allowing for
industrial, commercial, retail and residential development.
A
legend exists that Mare Island got its name after Gen. Vallejo drove a herd
of horses across the Carquinez Strait.
The City of Vallejo traces its beginnings to General Vallejo, who's namesake
stood as the California state capitol in California's formation as a state.
Mare Island, an integral part of the Vallejo
landscape, enjoys close proximity to the city's Ferry Terminal and ferry service. Vallejo
is a transportation and commuter hub
for the North Bay.
