Leonard Teyssier – San Diego Builder of the OB Pier – Passes at 97

Leonard Teyssier, a cherished member of the San Diego community, passed away on April 11, 2025, at the age of 97. Born on August 9, 1927 in Colorado, Leonard lived a vibrant life filled with love, service, and an unwavering connection to the coastal town he called home. Here is a tribute to Leonard by his family.

Leonard E. Teyssier, proposed acknowledgment as “Master Builder”

Throughout his illustrious and prolific career, Leonard Teyssier exemplified the qualities of a Master Builder, blending his expertise as a designer, engineer, and builder.

He played a pivotal role in shaping San Diego’s architectural landscape, constructing some of its most iconic structures. His remarkable portfolio includes the landmark Starlite Express Elevator and Skyroom Lounge atop the historic El Cortez Hotel (1956); the recently designated historic San Diego Municipal Fishing Pier in Ocean Beach (1966), and the Le Rondelet luxury condominiums at the entrance to Shelter Island in Point Loma (1967).

At just 29 years of age, Leonard won the bid to construct the new Skyroom Lounge at the renowned El Cortez Hotel in downtown San Diego. The project also included the development of street-level retail shops and the groundbreaking Starlite Express elevator, the world’s first outdoor glass elevator. The project’s architects, Paderewski, Mitchell & Dean, were commissioned by hotel owner Harry Handlery.

Leonard secured the bid with his innovative planning and engineering. Instead of erecting traditional scaffolding from street level to the 14th-floor roof, he devised a more cost-effective solution: metal brackets bolted through the hotel room walls to support working planks, eliminating the need for expensive scaffolding which trimmed $50,000 off his estimate.

And because the outdoor glass elevator was the first of its kind, the mechanical and technical aspects of such a tall hydro-electric elevator had to be figured out. Additionally, the design of a glass compartment, ensuring both functionality and passenger safety, was another interesting challenge. Passengers needed to feel safe as the first-ever glass elevator glided 160 feet up to the famed Sky Room Lounge [Starlight Express].

Another of Leonard’s groundbreaking achievements demonstrating his Master Builder qualities was the construction of the San Diego Municipal [Ocean Beach] Fishing Pier. Construction started in early spring of 1965 and was completed by July 1966. At the time, it was the longest concrete pier in the world, extending out 1971 feet into the Pacific.

Although a firm commissioned by the City of San Diego engineered the pier’s design, it was up to Leonard, as the successful bidder, to devise the most effective means and methods of construction. He humorously recalled in his memoirs, “I always said that we won the bid because we didn’t understand how to do waterfront work.” As such, Leonard figured it out.

Given the notoriously high surf conditions at Ocean Beach, Leonard needed to design, engineer and build his own tools. He developed a system using a pair of heavy steel beam outriggers. The large steel frames “back-spanned” to support the 60-ton crane, thereby allowing the cantilevered extension to stage the drill rig and other necessary equipment. This innovation allowed work to progress from the shore outward, enabling construction to advance, bay-by-bay above the high surf – see photo below.

For over 13 months, Leonard and his crew battled harsh weather, shifting tides, and severe winter storms, including one of the worst in San Diego’s history, where on that fateful morning, the crane was almost toppled off the pier deck.

As the project was nearing completion, the local community, excited about their new fishing pier, raised funds to extend it even further. The City of San Diego matched those funds. Leonard, honored, as well as humbled by the outpouring of public support, was pleased to construct the additional spans, at his cost, on the south wing extension where the best fishing could be had [OB Pier History, Construction, & Opening Weekend]. In June 2023, the San Diego Historical Resources Board officially designated the Ocean Beach Pier as a historic resource.

Shortly before completing the Ocean Beach Fishing Pier, at the age of 39, Leonard embarked on building his first full-scale development project: Le Rondelet. Built on the former site of the Star-Kist Tuna Canning plant, this ambitious project was entirely his own. He acquired the land, designed, built, and operated the Le Rondelet apartment complex on Shelter Island.

The six story structure, with subterranean parking, is cast in place concrete and consists of 88 residential units. In plan it is a three-quarter-circle with an outside radius of 129 feet and an interior radius of 67 feet thereby creating a large central landscaped courtyard with swimming pool. Leonard meticulously designed it to maximize efficiency, ensuring that nearly every room had a stunning view of the San Diego Harbor.

He spent two years thoughtfully planning the project for optimal construction speed, completing it in just 11 months from the first pile being driven to residents moving in. To meet strict lending timelines, he streamlined construction by pre-casting the architectural balcony railings on-site, pouring concrete every four days. The durability and aesthetics of these architectural elements remain a testament to his exacting craftsmanship.

During his prolific career in the 1950s and 1960s, Leonard built a diverse array of private and public projects, including structures designed by renowned architects. Notable works include the General Atomics research labs atop Torrey Pines Mesa (Pereira & Luckman, 1959), UCSD’s Married-Student Housing above La Jolla Shores (Mosher & Drew, 1960), and the addition to Ritter Hall at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Frank L. Hope & Associates).

His versatility extended to a variety of civic projects, such as the million-gallon public swimming pool in National City, the College Heights Branch Library, and the Education Center for the Lemon Grove School District. Leonard also constructed numerous religious buildings, including All Hallows Church and Rectory on Mount Soledad, St. John’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall in Chula Vista, and the Holy Cross Mausoleum (Frank L. Hope & Associates).

Leonard Teyssier’s enduring success was a result of his ingenuity in design, planning, and engineering, as well as his unwavering commitment to efficiency. Above all, he valued and deeply respected the people who worked for him and alongside him, a principle that defined his legacy as a true Master Builder.