By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–The City of San Diego will reopen the Ocean Beach Pier on Saturday following a six-month closure to allow time for repairs to damage caused by powerful winter storms.
The reopening comes ahead of the 57th anniversary of the pier’s grand opening on July 2, 1966, and just in time for the Fourth of July holiday.
The pier was closed on Jan. 6 and the city opted to wait until the winter storm season passed to hire a consultant to assess the damage. A visual assessment completed in early May determined that storms had caused minor damage to the pier’s railings and pump station, but that the pier remains structurally safe.
While necessary repairs to the pier’s facilities and railings have been completed, repairs to the pump station will continue for several weeks and will not impact public access. However, the pier’s restrooms will remain closed until the pump station repairs are complete.
With the reopening on Saturday, the city continues to seek input on the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project, which aims to provide a long-term solution for the pier through a potential replacement. A 2018 study determined that the pier has reached the end of its service life and the City is engaging San Diegans on what they want to see for this landmark in the future.
On June 10, the city hosted the second in a series of community workshops to share information about the project and gather community feedback. That input is being used by the city’s engineering consultants to develop several design alternatives for the potential replacement of the pier. In developing design alternatives, several factors will be considered including operational usage, environmental permitting, sustainability, cost and historical significance. Design alternatives are expected to be presented this fall and the preferred design alternative is anticipated to be chosen early next year.
After the preferred design alternative is selected, a detailed project schedule and cost estimate will be prepared. Currently, there is $8.4 million in state funding designated for the project and the city will pursue other state and federal grants.
