• A partnership of Interland Corporation and Shorenstein Company, LP proposes a mix of offices and housing in a campus setting that could include CNET as a major tenant.
• LNR Presidio Partners, a partnership of Lennar Partners and Mariposa Management Company, proposes a mixed-use project that includes offices and educational facilities where Golden Gate University and the Goldman Center on Aging may be housed, as well as apartments and an inn.
• Letterman Complex Development Partners, run by Walsh Higgins, proposes a mixed-use campus including offices and a hotel and conference center that may be run by Marriott Conference Centers.
• Letterman Digital Arts, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lucasfilm Ltd., proposes to build a Letterman Digital Centre of offices and workshops housing Lucasfilm-related entities.

"We were excited to see all the creative thinking that has gone into the planning process so far," said Jim Meadows, the Trust's Executive Director. "What we have before us is a wide variety of projects ranging from a mixed-use live/work community to a multi-media related campus."

One of the most important requirements of the prospective project teams will be to demonstrate how they will design the site so that it is more inviting to pedestrians and visitors, with a sense of open space and a community feel. "This is a chance for organizations to thrive in a park setting with the unique opportunity for employees to live and work in the Presidio," said Meadows. "We look forward to the Letterman site leading this practice and incorporating sustainable practices for design, construction and ultimately, lifestyle."

The short list of project teams will present their qualifications, site concepts and long range plans for the Letterman Complex site to the Trust on March 1st. Proposals will include detailed sketches that showcase the creativeness of their site plans, design and landscaping, as well as a list of prospective tenants.

The public will have the opportunity to see presentations by the four finalists. The Trust's Board of Directors will seek public input during its March 24th public Board meeting from 10 a.m. to noon and during workshops on March 24th and 31st from 6 to 9 p.m. before selecting a preferred proposal in April. These meetings will be held at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio. More information about the Letterman project and public workshops is available by contacting the Trust office at 415/561-5300.

The selection process is designed to ensure that the Trust finds the most appropriate project team for the Letterman site. The finalist must be experienced and be able to demonstrate that their site plan is environmentally sustainable, preserves the historic essence of the Presidio, and includes a comprehensive traffic demand management plan.

Created by Congress in 1996, the Presidio Trust is charged with preserving the Presidio's natural, historic, and scenic resources while making the park financially self-sufficient by 2013. Six Presidential appointees and the Secretary of the Interior or his designee sit on the Board of Directors and oversee non-coastal areas of the Presidio.