Name: Ferry Building, closed under coronavirus health orders, to reopen
Brand: sfchronicle.com
SKU: sfchronicle-com-77
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

Ferry Building, closed under coronavirus health orders, to reopen

preview

San Francisco’s Ferry Building reopened the stores and restaurants in its market hall Thursday after the city asked the state to clarify whether the building was a transportation terminal or indoor mall.The Ferry Building had informed the public on Wednesday that because the building was considered a mall, shops including Dandelion Chocolate, Far West Fungi, Heath Ceramics and Urban Remedy, had to limit themselves to curbside pickup operations. Restaurants and stores with exterior entrances were allowed to continue operating.But according to John Coté, a spokesman for the San Francisco’s city attorney’s office, the city sought clarification on Monday from the state on how it classifies the Ferry Building.Coté said the Ferry Building had been considered an indoor shopping center throughout the entire coronavirus pandemic.More for youOn Thursday, Coté said the state confirmed that the Ferry Building was indeed a transportation terminal.The change shows the difficulty in applying state and local health orders to businesses and the nature of some rules — all meant to check the spread of the pandemic — that dictate which businesses can operate, and in which fashion.The state has recently moved to place many counties, including San Francisco, on a watch list based on the level of coronavirus infections and other health metrics. Landing on the list essentially forces a county back to an earlier stage of reopening and places stricter limits on businesses and other activities, including indoor shopping centers.“Because the state put San Francisco on the watch list, that’s what forced indoor shopping centers to close,” Coté said.Coté said San Francisco officials did not shut down the Ferry Building.“The city attorney’s office requested clarification from the state on what could remain open, and in our request for clarification, we point out that the San Francisco Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries that travel across the bay and also houses an indoor marketplace,” Coté said.Under state and local shelter-in-place rules, transport terminals are deemed essential operations, while indoor malls are only allowed to open in the later stages of the state’s reopening timeline.“Effective immediately, shops and restaurants inside the building can resume serving customers indoors in accordance with the latest directives from the San Francisco Department of Public Health,” Jane Connors, the general manager of the Ferry Building, said in a statement Thursday.The complex’s outdoor dining tables and the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and were not affected by the building’s temporary designation as a mall.On the marketplace’s website, a message alerts visitors that, “We are back!”Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.“As more of our merchants prepare to reopen, we’ve been hard at work preparing to safely welcome you back,” marketplace officials said in a . “We’ve implemented even stricter safety standards and guidelines so that you can shop for your locally made goods with peace of mind.”Marketplace officials said they have enhanced their cleaning procedures, required face coverings for all staff and patrons, expanded curbside pickup and delivery for shoppers, set up hand sanitizing stations throughout the marketplace, established “one-way lanes” to control foot traffic, and established “hands-free entries where possible to minimize touch points.”Officials also said they “optimized” its air filtering system and “maximized use of outside air.”Visitors are advised to keep a 6-foot distance from others while shopping, officials said.The marketplace website says that merchants’ hours of operations will be updated online.Shwanika Narayan and Lauren Hernández are San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: , Twitter: ,Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

San Francisco’s Ferry Building reopened the stores and restaurants in its market hall Thursday after the city asked the state to clarify whether the building was a transportation terminal or indoor mall.The Ferry Building had informed the public on Wednesday that because the building was considered a mall, shops including Dandelion Chocolate, Far West Fungi, Heath Ceramics and Urban Remedy, had to limit themselves to curbside pickup operations. Restaurants and stores with exterior entrances were allowed to continue operating.But according to John Coté, a spokesman for the San Francisco’s...

public

Lauren Hernández

Shwanika Narayan

Delivering the Bay Area’s best journalism every day. Subscribe and support the newsroom: http://SFChronicle.com/subscribe

Ferry Building, closed under coronavirus health orders, to reopen

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS