SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited the Bay Area to tour Alcatraz Thursday morning as part of the controversial plan to reopen the federal penitentiary.

President Donald Trump started first floated the idea of reopening the notorious site as a federal prison back in May. It’s been shuttered since 1963, when the federal government closed it down largely due to its high operational costs and crumbling infrastructure.

Republicans in Congress are expected to introduce a bill to end environmental protections for Alcatraz and take away the National Park Service’s control of the site, in order to convert the facilities into a penitentiary again.

Former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer told ABC7 News the plan appears to be a pipe dream.

“Everything I know from when I was in the Senate tells me that it is practically impossible to take away a park designation from a property like this. I have never seen it happen,” she said.

Their visit comes as Bondi is getting backlash for her decision to not release additional files in the case of disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“Pam Bondi leaving Washington is a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein files. That’s what this is about. No question in my mind,” Boxer said. “This is a president who claims he has to cut wasteful spending. He’s gonna spend four times more on a prison than another prison. It’s all part of this fantasy.”

In an interview with ABC7 News, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi called it “the stupidest initiative yet.”

“They closed Alcatraz because of the cost,” Pelosi said. “And now, not only would they have the cost of running it, they have the billions of dollars that it will take to turn it back into a prison. So it’s really economically unfeasible, and if they want to spend money on prisons and public safety, there are other areas that they can do it.”

Bondi and Burgum limited press access on their tour, inviting one Fox News camera crew along for the visit, but ABC7 News’ helicopter captured footage of their visit to Alcatraz from above.

Alcatraz currently generates about $60 million in annual revenue, according to the National Park Service. Refurbishing the island and building a new prison would cost at least a quarter of a billion dollars, according to estimates.

Later Thursday morning, Burgum toured the Presidio National Park site, but he did not answer questions from reporters about how the Alcatraz tour went. In an interview with Fox News, the secretary said “this is something we are here to take a look at.”

MORE: Tourists, politicians and former inmate sound off on Trump’s proposal to reopen Alcatraz as a prison

Bondi did not join Burgum during the Presidio tour, which comes months after Trump signed an executive order to dissolve the Presidio Trust.

ABC7 News political reporter Monica Madden asked Burgum if the administration is moving forward with those plans.

“I haven’t been in any discussion related to that at all. We’re actively looking for new members of the Presidio Trust,” he said. “But haven’t heard a word of that and I think I would have in my position.”

Presidio Trust CEO Jean Fraser gave the secretary a tour of the Presidio and answered his questions about the cost and operations of the grounds. He told ABC7 News that he is impressed by the public-private partnership model and profitability of the park.

“The Presidio has done a great job, this is a model they are using private sector tools and market tools with no subsidies…I think they are great example of how we can do a great job of collaborating with tools to help manage federal resources,” Burgum said. “People love the national parks and I think there’s a big opportunity for us to do more fundraising from the private sector.”

Trump has also discussed potential of building a “futuristic city” on the Presidio grounds, which Burgum dismissed in response to our questions.

“I think the Presidio’s set of rules is very specific right now,” he said. “They can’t add new space unless they go through a tight process of taking something down that’s not historic. So, the goal here at the Presidio is to preserve the original structure, the original look and the original density. And, I think they’ve done a great job doing that here.”

Other Bay Area and state leaders weigh in on Trump’s Alcatraz proposal

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Press Office issued a statement saying, “Pam Bondi will reopen Alcatraz the same day Trump lets her release the Epstein files. So… never.”

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie issued a statement saying, “There’s no realistic plan to make Alcatraz reopen as anything other than the wonderful tourist attraction that it currently is.”

ABC7 News Bay Area insider Phil Matier weighed in on the plans and visit.

“He wants to make a statement about being tough on crime,” Matier said. “This is a photo op. This is a publicity stunt. This is a tour in order to capture the image of them in San Francisco on Alcatraz, declaring that Donald Trump is tough on crime, so tough that he’s going to reopen The Rock… It’s now pretty much like an old ancient castle out there that tourists go to,” Matier said.