Mayor Kevin Faulconer and District 2 Councilmember Dr. Jen Campbell, along with a host of Obecians, formally reopened Ocean Beach Pier at early morning ceremony on May 24.
“The unofficial start to the summer is here,” proclaimed Faulconer, while thanking City crews for “bringing the pier in on time and under budget, and for working a lot of days and evenings to get this beautiful pier open for San Diego in time for Memorial Day. I’d like to thank the community for all your help and support.”
“We’re so happy to have this for our Memorial Day weekend kick-off for the summer,” said Campbell. “This pier means so much to OB. It’s a community gathering center, and we really appreciate the beauty that it provides for us.”
“All the businesses are so grateful to have the pier open again,” said Denny Knox of Ocean Beach MainStreet Association. “It really does affect affect us when it’s closed. I want to thank the mayor’s office for pushing so hard to make this happen, and all the work the City and our City Council did all working together to make this happen.”
OB Pier was closed in January for public safety and to make repairs after the structure was ravaged by unusually strong winter storms and king tides.
City staff determined that more than 2,200 feet of guard rail, electric, water and sewer lines needed serious repair or replacement. Renovation work began in March and was completed for about $309,000, which is $121,000 less than initially estimated.
More than 50 years old, OB Pier is still in need of permanent repair. City staff is in the process of formulating a long-term rehabilitation plan to evaluate the pier’s overall condition.
San Diego Lifeguard Chief James Garland saluted City crews that worked on the pier’s restoration. “They did just a fantastic job,” he said. “It’s nice it will be open for the summer. We’re really excited to have this. It’s like having an old friend back.”
Spanning more than 1,970 feet, Ocean Beach Pier is the second longest on the West Coast and the longest concrete pier in the world. The pier opened in 1966 and it receives more than 500,000 visitors every year.
