# How Much Wold Alcatraz Island (Developed) Be Worth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240 "2011-02-13T19:55:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/1 "2011-02-13T19:55:17Z")
I was watching a travel show, which featured a trip to Alcatraz. The old prison looks like its in bad shape, and I cannot nderstand why people are interested in touring it. It is jst an old jail, with peeling paint and rusting bars. My question: sppose you razed the old dmp, and replaced it with trendy condos and seaside mansions-SF is a short ferry ride away, and the property would probably sell for megabcks. Any idea what the place cold be worth? It would be a lot nicer than the crrent eyesore. ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/2 "2011-02-13T20:39:06Z")
Considering that so many other cultural landmarks in the Bay Area have been raised for the all mighty condo dollar these days, I vote no. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/3 "2011-02-13T20:40:47Z")
Does the U on your keyboard not work? ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/4 "2011-02-13T20:52:19Z")
There’s a reason they built a prison there. It’s pretty isolated, surrounded by a cold bay that few people go swimming in, even in the summer. Right now the housing market is pretty crappy in California as it is, I’m not sure if you could sell anything out there, with the inconvenience of relying on a ferry. The tried to revitalize Treasure Island, perhaps someone more knowledgeable about that can tell us how the housing market out there is. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/5 "2011-02-13T20:54:32Z")
It has no water supply. All water must be fetched in by barge. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/6 "2011-02-13T21:02:43Z")
> [@dewey finn](#): > > does the u on your keyboard not work? –pebkac ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/7 "2011-02-13T21:02:47Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > It would be a lot nicer than the crrent eyesore. Most people around here wouldn’t agree with you. Also, the island is very windy & cold most of the time, even more so than the beaches. Another also, no way for police, fire or paramedic to get to you. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/8 "2011-02-13T21:14:19Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I was watching a travel show, which featured a trip to Alcatraz. The old prison looks like its in bad shape, and I cannot nderstand why people are interested in touring it. It is jst an old jail, with peeling paint and rusting bars. > My question: sppose you razed the old dmp, and replaced it with trendy condos and seaside mansions-SF is a short ferry ride away, and the property would probably sell for megabcks. > Any idea what the place cold be worth? It would be a lot nicer than the crrent eyesore. I grew up in the Bay Area and never thought of going to Alcatraz - it was something tourists do. But a few years ago I had a friend visiting from out of town and she wanted to do it, so we went. I thought it would be really boring. But it turned out to be quite fascinating, and the views from the island were spectacular. It’s a historic landmark, so razing the prison and putting in condos is not going to happen, period. In a hypothetical situation, it’s still unlikely. You actually can live on [Treasure Island](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Island_(California)), and pretty much no one wants to, even though it has bridge access to the mainland. Alcatraz would be even less desirable a place to live. It’s teensy and cold and isolated. Building something habitable there would be so expensive that it wouldn’t be worth the cost. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/9 "2011-02-13T22:24:45Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Does the U on your keyboard not work? > [@ralph124c](#): > > I was watching a travel show, which featured a trip to Alcatraz. The old prison looks like its in bad shape, and I cannot nderstand why people are interested in touring it. It is jst an old jail, with peeling paint and rusting bars. > My question: sppose you razed the old dmp, and replaced it with trendy condos and seaside mansions-SF is a short ferry ride away, and the property would probably sell for megabcks. > Any idea what the place cold be worth? It would be a lot nicer than the crrent eyesore. Apparently only some of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/10 "2011-02-13T22:25:05Z")
Well it is a national park and a nature conservancy. Seems to me you can have your way, provided an Act of Congress is granted. Even so, once the trendy condos and seaside mansions-SF are built, who would want to live in an isolated place that’s haunted? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/11 "2011-02-13T22:31:34Z")
> [@moejoe](#): > > Considering that so many other cultural landmarks in the Bay Area have been raised for the all mighty condo dollar these days, I vote no. ☹ That’s “razed”. It means destroy. In construction parlance “raised” means to build or erect. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/12 "2011-02-13T22:36:11Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I was watching a travel show, which featured a trip to Alcatraz. The old prison looks like its in bad shape, and I cannot nderstand why people are interested in touring it. It is jst an old jail, with peeling paint and rusting bars. > My question: sppose you razed the old dmp, and replaced it with trendy condos and seaside mansions-SF is a short ferry ride away, and the property would probably sell for megabcks. > Any idea what the place cold be worth? It would be a lot nicer than the crrent eyesore. Just a tip. Don’t ever try break into the tourism pamphlet writing business with sample work like that. Alcatraz is awesome to visit and very popular. Even if you could turn it into condos, it isn’t clear that it would be economically sound to do such a thing. It is a real island and not an especially inhabitable one at that. There are thousands of other islands close to cities that people don’t live on either. Boston is also very expensive and has the more inhabitable Boston Harbor islands that few people visit let alone live on. People love to visit Alcatraz because it is really unique and that has value historically and even economically. San Francisco is a popular tourist destination because of oddities like Alcatraz and that brings in cash. You can put condos anywhere. It isn’t like the whole state of California let alone the U.S. has a shortage of land. Next up: One developer’s plan to rebuild the New Orleans French Quarter to a more modern design. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/13 "2011-02-13T22:37:09Z")
But what a view! And what a location – equidistant from either Oakland or San Francisco! Doesn’t view and location count in real estate anymore? I say make an offer. ---
**Author:** ![Kamrusepas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@Kamrusepas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamrusepas)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/14 "2011-02-14T08:42:45Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I was watching a travel show, which featured a trip to Alcatraz. The old prison looks like its in bad shape, and I cannot nderstand why people are interested in touring it. It is jst an old jail, with peeling paint and rusting bars. Well some people, like myself, absolutely love old buildings. The worse the shape it’s in, the bigger the mental orgasms I get simply from looking at pictures of such building. Abandoned prisons and hospitals, oh my. And yes, I am planning to take a trip to Pripyat/Chernobyl 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/15 "2011-02-14T12:25:22Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > But what a view! And what a location – equidistant from either Oakland or San Francisco! Doesn’t view and location count in real estate anymore? > > I say make an offer. I’m not so sure about that - look at a map - it is closer to San Francisco - or have I misread and you were actually referencing Treasure Island instead of Alcatraz? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/16 "2011-02-14T16:15:05Z")
BTW, should you WANT such development, note that Treasure Island is artificial - it’s landfill, as is Foster City, the Marina, and part of Alameda. Much of SF Bay is very shallow, and an artificial island might provide better land for development, provided you can surmount the inevitable opposition to it. Personally, I don’t want it. And while you’re looking at the map … leave Angel Island alone, too. Maybe you could buy Red Rock Island, current asking price a mere $22 million. What, no takers? > **[Red Rock Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Island)** > > Red Rock Island (variously known as Moleta, Molate Rock, and Golden Rock) is an uninhabited, 5.8-acre (2.3 ha) island in the San Francisco Bay located just south of the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge. The property is the only privately owned island in San Francisco Bay. The boundaries of three counties – San Francisco, Marin, and Contra Costa – converge on the island. The San Francisco County portion is an incorporated part of the city of San Francisco since it is a consolidated ci The mountain of b... ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/17 "2011-02-15T14:14:37Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > It has no water supply. > > All water must be fetched in by barge. And fetched out again, once used. The island has no sewage facilities, nor enough suitable ground to build them. (When the prison was operating, they just dumped their sewage into the bay. That wouldn’t be allowed today, so your developer would have quite an expense here.) ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/18 "2011-02-15T15:34:06Z")
I hear Vickie is the best tour guide. Make sure you get him if you go on a tour. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/19 "2011-02-15T15:52:31Z")
> [@moejoe](#): > > Considering that so many other cultural landmarks in the Bay Area have been raised Nitpick: razed ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240/20 "2011-02-15T23:34:45Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Nitpick: razed NitNitpick: Post #11. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-wold-alcatraz-island-developed-be-worth/571240.md?page=2)