Seventeen years after it was first pitched as a showcase for local ecology and history, the long-planned Alameda Creek Watershed Center next to Sunol’s century-old Water Temple is still off-limits to the public. The San Francisco utilities department is still working on the building behind locked fences, with no opening date on the calendar. Residents say the lag has left Sunol without the promised school programs and exhibits, even as the unfinished center looms beside the temple’s classic columns on land that local communities and tribal leaders consider culturally sensitive.
SFPUC Says Work Is Wrapping Up, Still No Opening Day
According to SFPUC, crews are “currently finalizing work” on the 10,000 square foot Alameda Creek Watershed Center, with construction projected to end in “Late 2026.” The agency’s construction page warns that the Temple Road approach remains closed to the public during construction and lists a staff contact for questions. Officials also note they have not set an opening date and say updates will be posted on the project page when they exist.
Archaeology Finds And Weather Snags Upended The Timeline
Before building even began, pre-construction excavations uncovered a culturally rich site that included the remains of dozens of Native Americans and more than 13,000 artifacts, a discovery that forced a reset of exhibit plans and triggered lengthy consultation with tribal representatives, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Collaboration with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe reshaped exhibit designs and stretched the schedule far beyond early estimates. Project leaders have repeatedly said the archaeological findings had to be handled with care before they could decide what, if anything, would be appropriate for public display.
Contract Changes Sent Costs Climbing
Commission minutes from December 2025 show that the construction contract for the Sunol long term improvements, listed as Contract No. WD 2794B with S. J. Amoroso Construction Co., has been revised multiple times and now carries a cost limit of about $36.9 million. The minutes approve added contingency and more time to cover redesigned exhibits, investigations into water leaks and post construction maintenance. On its own news page, Amoroso notes that it received an early contract to build the center valued at roughly $25.75 million.
Storm Damage And Pandemic Pauses
Recent coverage reports that winter storms pounded parts of the unfinished facility, damaging utility hookups, an archaeology pit, windows, interior walls and an 8,000 gallon freshwater aquarium that had been slated as a centerpiece of the exhibits. The Mercury News story that highlighted the ongoing closure also notes that work was partly halted during pandemic shutdowns in 2020 and that the agency has had to redesign exhibits in response to both the archaeological discoveries and water intrusion problems. Those setbacks translated into additional months on the schedule and higher overall costs.
Locals Want Straight Answers
Residents say they are tired of waiting and guessing. “People haven’t been there in 10 years,” longtime Sunol resident Connie DeGrange told The Mercury News, adding that many locals have never seen the site up close at all. SFPUC division manager Tim Ramirez told the same outlet that the center is meant to function as an educational facility rather than a general community center and said, “If we had a schedule, we would share it.”
What Comes Next
The SFPUC says it will keep working through 2026 to complete the building, fix damage and finish the exhibits, then announce an opening date when everything is finally ready. For now, both the temple grounds and the Sunol yard will stay closed while crews deal with repairs, redesigns and long range maintenance.
