While few were holding out hope that the Ocean Beach Pier, which has been closed for years, would reopen anytime soon, the city of San Diego confirmed Friday they will no longer be working toward repairing the pier and instead are looking at replacement options.
Signs have pointed to this decision for months, although no final decision had been made up until this point. In January, the city posted a notice on the pier in January hinting at the possibility of demolition. And, design concepts were shown to community members in April showing the proposed replacement pier.
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Even as far back as 2018, the outcome seemed inevitable. A study released that year determined that the pier was beyond its useful life and recommended the city pursue its replacement.
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In the report released Friday, the city confirmed repairing the damaged Ocean Beach Pier is no longer feasible. The 58-year-old pier has been closed since it was damaged by high surf in October 2023. Further damage occurred last December when a support bracket broke off and fell into the ocean.
"Engineering teams have determined that any work to rehabilitate the pier is not feasible, especially given the likelihood of additional damage occurring during future winter storms," officials said in a statement.
The safest and most cost-effective option for the Ocean Beach Pier is to keep the structure closed to public access while the city moves forward with a long-term solution to replace the pier, the city said.
"The Ocean Beach Pier is an iconic landmark of San Diego, but it was built nearly six decades ago and no longer can withstand the impacts of rising sea levels and storm surge along our coast," said Assistant Director of the Engineering and Capital Projects Department Elif Cetin. "The decision on how to proceed factors in the likelihood that future storms will cause additional damage to the pier in coming years and whether it makes sense to pour resources into a structure that will continue to need extensive repairs or to instead invest in the long-term pier-replacement project."
The report released Friday outlined several immediate measures that could have been taken to address the recent damage to the pier. However, the city decided to leave the pier as is due to the overall cost, timeline, feasibility and environmental permitting that would be required for those options, the statement said.
Even if steps were to be taken to repair the pier, it would not allow for its reopening without additional repairs or rehabilitation.
At the time of the 2018 study, minimal repairs would have cost about $8 million, and rehabilitation would have cost about $30 million to $50 million. Since that 2018 study was conducted, the pier damage and construction repair costs have significantly increased, further bolstering the case for replacement, according to the city.
While the pier does not pose an immediate threat to public safety, additional signs have been posted reminding visitors to be cautious when visiting the area, the city report said.
The San Diego Municipal Code states it is against the law for anyone to swim, wade, surf or skin dive within 75 feet of any fishing pier owned or operated by the city.
