Design concept based on feedback from community throughout year-long engagement process
SAN DIEGO – Following more than a year of community engagement and public input, the City of San Diego on Saturday, April 6 revealed the preferred design concept for a potential Ocean Beach Pier replacement. The concept, unveiled at a community workshop held this afternoon, captures the features that San Diegans expressed they would like to see in a new pier.
While incorporating iconic elements of the existing 57-year-old Ocean Beach Pier, the preferred design concept revealed on Saturday also includes aesthetic elements that offer something modern and new for future generations to enjoy. The concept showcases a pier approximately 2,000 feet long with an average deck width of 22 feet and a shape similar to the existing pier, with curving arms on the western end. It includes a network of interconnected pathways, gathering places, new retail and dining opportunities and enhanced fishing amenities – all of which were key elements according to community feedback.
“This iconic structure is synonymous with Ocean Beach and I’m thankful to the residents in that community and across San Diego who provided feedback to shape this design concept,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “Now we turn our focus to obtaining the necessary environmental permits and funding to make this community vision a reality.”
As part of Saturday’s event, community members participated in interactive workshops to provide additional input on specific pier amenities that have not been incorporated into the design, including lighting and shade options. This input, along with feedback gathered during an online survey over the next month, will help the design consultants finalize some of the project’s remaining amenities. Everyone is encouraged to take the survey by visiting OBPierRenewal.com.
“Thank you to the city Engineers, consultants, and the community for working together on the preferred design concept of the OB Pier,” said Councilmember Jennifer Campbell. “The Pier is an important landmark in San Diego and is in desperate need of improvements for San Diego residents and the nearly half a million tourists that visit every year.”
The Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project 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. As a result, the city is pursuing a potential replacement of the pier as the best option considering the ongoing costs of repairs, the need to modernize the existing facility and anticipation of future sea level rise.
The current Ocean Beach Pier remains closed since it was damaged by high surf in October 2023. Over the winter storm season, it suffered additional damage, including losing one pile, a portion of a pile cap and large sections of railing. The city is currently assessing the damage to the Ocean Beach Pier to determine any potential options to stabilize the current structure. At this time, no final decisions have been made regarding whether or not the current Ocean Beach Pier will reopen.
“We are excited to have reached this major milestone in the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project,” said Elif Cetin, assistant director for Strategic Capital Projects. “The release of the preferred design concept is the culmination of more than a year of work in close coordination with the community. We started this process with a blank slate, open to everyone’s ideas and desires for a potential replacement pier and we feel like the preferred design concept represents the community input we received. This state-of-the-art design holds core elements of the existing pier and pairs them with unique and innovative design features that will provide a whole new pier experience for generations to come.”
As the final design of the replacement pier is being developed, city staff will be working to acquire the proper environmental permits for the project under the California Environmental Quality Act and engage with the appropriate stakeholders to get feedback during the Environmental Impact Report process, as well as acquire proper funding. The current estimated cost range for the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project is $170 million to $190 million. This number is the estimated total project cost and includes everything completed so far for the community engagement process all the way through the end of construction.
If the project receives the proper environmental permitting and secures the necessary funding, demolition of the existing pier and construction of the new pier will take place concurrently. The new pier will be constructed over approximately the same footprint as the existing pier but with a higher deck elevation to minimize the potential for wave damage and account for future sea level rise. Work would start from the base of the pier, where it connects with the land, and work toward the west.
The timeline for the start and end of construction for this project is yet to be determined but will be provided once the environmental permitting process and funding acquisition process are complete. A current project timeline is available on the Pier Renewal project webpage (https://www.sandiego.gov/cip/ocean-beach-pier-renewal).
More information about the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal Project can be found at OBPierRenewal.com.
(City of San Diego Release)
