Garden in the sky to top the new Transbay Transit Center

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Construction is still underway at San Francisco's new Transbay terminal and when the design was unveiled builders pointed to a park in the sky that some are calling an urban oasis.

For eight years, commuters have had to navigate around crews who first had to demolish the old Transbay transit building, then build the towering new state of the art facility.

A major part of selling that plan to the public was a rooftop garden, spanning three blocks from Beale Street to 2nd street. 

From the Transbay Transit Center construction offices, you get a sense of how this garden in the sky is taking shape. 

Builder Dennis Turchon says when it's completed this will be the city's newest urban oasis. "It's going to be a beautiful facility for the public," said Turchon. "Over five acres of park where there wasn't any before."

Much of the work on the rooftop garden took place under the dark of night, so most commuters haven't had a chance to see the more than 16,000 plants now being put in place. 

"All the plants had to come, all one at a time" said Turchon. "All being brought up hoisted up by a crane to the park. So, that was the challenge, but once it's up here and you're in the park you don't even realize where you're at, you do get immersed into the park really quickly."

In the short stroll up one side of the garden and down the other, visitors can virtually travel the world. The rooftop features trees from around the globe. 

"All on the Northern side are California gardens from like a desert to the wetlands, and on the southern side it goes from South African to Italian to Mediterranean to Australian or New Zealand," said Turchon.

While workers at neighboring high rises have been able to watch the park take shape the rest of us will have to wait to check it out-- the Transbay Terminal is expected to open in the summer of this year.