History

The land under the Gateway Apartments and Townhomes was originally part of the Bay. By creating landfill over sunken ships, the shoreline was expanded, transforming the area that includes today’s Embarcadero and Barbary Coast. In the 1960s, warehouses and produce markets dominated the space where Gateway towers now stand, with a tribute to this era seen in the Colombo Arch in Sydney G. Walton Square. As the area declined mid-century, urban renewal projects replaced the markets with the Golden Gateway Center and surrounding landmarks like One Maritime Plaza and Embarcadero Center.

Around 1965, Perini Corporation received HUD financing for the Golden Gateway Center. Although HUD initially limited rents, the 1979 San Francisco Rent Ordinance imposed controls on buildings built before that year, limiting rent increases to the Consumer Price Index with exceptions for approved capital improvements. The Golden Gateway’s landlords disputed the ordinance's application to their property, leading residents to form the Golden Gateway Tenants Association (GGTA) in 1982. GGTA, now Gateway Tenants Association (GTA), won the legal battle and has actively represented residents’ interests, advocating for rent control and tenant rights in the face of challenges for over 30 years.