It may be time to finally wave goodbye to the current Ocean Beach Municipal Pier. The City of San Diego applied for a permit that would allow it to demolish and replace the historic landmark.
The notice was posted on the pier’s gate to inform locals of the application. It has not yet been approved, and the final determination will come at a public hearing.
Over the past few weeks, high surf and King Tides have once again damaged the pier, knocking over its railings and pummeling its pillars. This prompted the city to speed up its assessment of the structure, which was originally slated following this winter’s storm season.
Parts of the OB Pier were damaged from this season’s high tides.
Photo via @kyleohare_
The City of San Diego is already looking towards replacing the pier through its ongoing Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project. Renderings of three potential replacement designs have been released, but the city hasn’t decided on the final plan yet.
Based on a 2019 report from Moffatt & Nichol, the engineering consultants hired by the city, the pier “has reached the end of its service life.” Locals know the structure often faces closures; it hasn’t been open to the public since October 2023.
A replacement timeline and project cost has not been announced. However, the city has secured $8.4 million in federal funding for the OB Pier Renewal project. There will be a community workshop early this year for locals to share feedback, and you can visit the Ocean Beach Community Planning Group for more information about meetings and reviews for this project.
