Years ago, Alcatraz's inhabitants would have given anything to get off the rock. Now the Golden Gate National Recreation Area hopes people might line up to stay there.
The GNRA, which manages the island, is looking to draft a 20 year management plan for the island that could bring several changes to the historic rock in the middle of the San Francisco Bay.
The aim of the plan is to establish a deep connection between visitors and the island. As the development of the plan is being discussed, the community is being asked to weigh in on several options.
"To better reveal the early military prison period, the guardhouse could be restored by removing the later boathouse addition," a GGNRA document obtained by the San Francisco Examiner reads. "Other areas would be rehabilitated for visitor services and administrative functions and could include modest dorm-like overnight accommodations for participants in education, conservation, and stewardship programs. The upper floors would be stabilized to preserve the structure’s integrity."
Some of those include giving visitor access beyond the main prison house and the gardens and improving the structural stability of the rock.
There is also conversation of opening up the island for visitors to interact more with the local wildlife.
There will be two more public hearings to discuss the proposal. The next one is Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Ingrid B. Lacey Middle School in Pacifica
