Ocean Beach Pier to remain closed until new version is built

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Ocean Beach residents’ suspicions have been confirmed: San Diego city officials said Friday that their beloved pier will not be reopening anytime soon.

The 1,500-foot-long concrete pier — one of the longest of its kind on the West Coast — has been closed for longer than it has been open to the public over the last year amid high surf and consecutive storms that left the 58-year-old structure in a state of disrepair.

Now, the storied pier will sit closed off to the public permanently as city officials move forward with building its replacement.

In a statement on Friday, city leaders announced the Ocean Beach Pier would remain shuttered, as it has since October, due to engineering teams’ determination that repairing the structure would not be feasible “given the likelihood of additional damage” in future winter storms.

“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,” Elif Cetin, assistant director of the city’s Engineering and Capital Projects Department, said in a statement.

“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,” Cetin continued.

A report on the structural integrity of the pier from engineering consultant Moffatt & Nichol released alongside the statement found that it would cost upwards of $550,000 to stabilize the most pressing structural issues, like replacing the missing pile on the south side of the pier.

According to the report, it would take an additional $150,000 to address the recovery and disposal of concrete debris from around the pier.

However, the report notes that these actions do not guarantee longevity for the current structure.

A report in 2018 concluded it had reached the end of its service life and would need upwards of $50 million in repairs to rehabilitate the pier. City officials say that estimate would likely be much higher now due to additional damage and higher construction costs.

The city has already spent upwards of $1.7 million on temporary fixes in the last five years in an effort to keep the pier open as they look towards long-term solutions. Subsequent studies found that erecting a new pier would be the most feasible option for the city in the long-run.

San Diego officials have been making progress on the project to fix the Ocean Beach Pier, called the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal. Earlier this year, an initial design concept for the re-envisioned pier , which would be constructed over the same footprint as the existing one, was released.

According to San Diego officials, the city is currently working to get state permits and secure funding. The estimated cost to replace the pier is around $170 million to $190 million — the city has about $9 million in funds already dedicated to the project.

The report released Friday said demolition, which will occur at the same time as building the new pier, will begin in 2027 at the earliest.

In the meantime, the city is enforcing a 75-foot buffer zone around the pier, banning swimming, wading, surfing or skin diving inside the perimeter due to safety concerns.

Locals told FOX 5/KUSI that they still like to come out and get as close as they can to the pier, despite the closure.

“I live a few blocks away. I walk on this chair every single day. My old dog and I will come here every single day, multiple times a day,” one resident said. “I miss it …. rain or shine. I miss it. It’s just an iconic part of OB.”

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