by Dave Schwab / Times of San Diego / Oct. 2, 2025
Ocean Beach residents are beginning to wonder when – or even if – their community’s landmark pier will ever be replaced.
The old pier was closed to the public since October 2023 because of its deteriorating condition.
“Us old-timers would like to see the pier rebuilt in our lifetime,” said Mark Winkie, a former member of the now-disbanded Ocean Beach Pier Task Force. “That would be a good goal.”
Noting he “used the pier almost every day,” when he first moved to OB in the ‘80s, Winkie added that the pier is special to OB residents.
“It gives people who can’t get out on the ocean an experience of connecting to the water and the natural environment: It’s a public resource,” he said, “It’s one of the crown jewels of the city and county.
“We want to see it rebuilt and put back to its former glory.”
Another former OB Pier Task Force member, Ralph Teyssier, who is a structural engineer and the son of Leonard Teyssier – who built the OB Pier – said he is as concerned with finding funding to replace the pier as he is with the timeline for the project, which he noted continues to be extended.
“The loss of the OB Pier continues to be a significant loss for Ocean Beach and the greater region,” Teyssier said in a recent letter to the city, adding, “It was both a treasured public resource and a vital economic driver.”
Pair of requests made to the city
Teyssier had two requests to make of the city in his recent correspondence.
“Given the significance of this project, perhaps the mayor might consider providing an in-person update to the community in the near future,” he said.
“And could you provide us with a full update on the funding side of this project — the ‘third leg of the stool?’ We want to be sure that this essential component is actively moving forward and not stalled.”
First opened in 1966, the Ocean Beach Pier debuted as a sport-fishing pier with no fee for accessing it and no fishing licenses required.
During its first quarter-century, the pier received normal ongoing maintenance required by exposure to the harsh marine environment of wind, waves, and salt.
In 1991, the pier underwent major structural rehabilitation.
Since the early 2000s, exposure to winter storms, large waves, and ongoing degradation has required structural pier repairs with increasing frequency.
Based on the findings of a 2018 study, it was determined that OB Pier had reached the end of its useful service life. [The OB Rag broke this story in April 2021.]
Potential replacement of the pier
Consequently, the city has determined that pursuing a potential replacement of the pier is the best long-term option.
Nicole Fortier, an assistant civil engineer with the city, recently gave an update to the beach community in an email letter on the status of the pier.
“The Ocean Beach Renewal project is actively progressing,” she said, adding that there is a lot of groundwork yet to be done for the long-term project.
“After completing extensive public outreach and finalizing the proposed pier concept, the project team has transitioned into the permitting and environmental review phase,” Fortier said. “Given the scale of the project, a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report is required under the California Environmental Quality Act, which can typically take anywhere from two to five years, depending upon the findings and potential impacts.”
The pier replacement report is expected to be ready for public review by spring 2026, Fortier added.
“In addition, the project must secure Site and Coastal Development Permits and coordinate with multiple regulatory agencies including, but not limited to, the California Coastal Commission, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — each of which involves its own comprehensive review.
“The project is currently moving through this detailed permitting and environmental process.”
Fortier said that the city is actively pursuing all available funding sources for the project as well as for it long-term maintenance.
“The Ocean Pier Revitalization Act of 2024 has been renamed the American Pier Revitalization Act,” Fortier added. “Mayor (Todd) Gloria is actively working with Congressman (Mike) Levin to secure a Republican co-sponsor for this bill.”
In October 2024, the City and its engineering consultants revealed a refined preferred design concept for a potential replacement. The concept, shared during community workshops, is the culmination of more than 18 months of community engagement.
Original preferred design concept incorporates history
The original preferred design concept incorporated iconic elements of the nearly 60-year-old Ocean Beach Pier, along with more modern and new aesthetic elements.
The refined preferred design concept maintains the overall feel of the original, with updates to various features like lighting, shading, and fishing amenities based on public input.
Once proper environmental permitting and necessary funding have been secured for the pier’s replacement, demolition of the existing structure and construction of the new pier will take place concurrently.
Initial plans for the new pier are to have it 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 rises.
Work would start from its base, where it connects with the land, and work towards the west.
Didn’t we go through the steps already? Another bone thrown to us….OB is just an afterthought. It’s all talk, stonewalling, and a bunch of BS. As everyone knows, the longer this goes on, the more the costs will rise. Just blowing smoke up our a##. I’ll believe it when I see the construction crew on site.
Historical perspective of California coastal infrastructure is needed to understand why there will be no new Ocean Beach Pier in the coming decade. The United States Army Corps of Engineers were tasked during World War 2 to expand their duties from rivers and waterways to develop coastal harbors for the shipping necessary to defeat Japan and Germany. At first, the Department of War attempted to seize the City of San Diego to use all develop able land for that effort to outfit thousands of ships to deliver the war materials for the invasion. However, the California Constitution mandates a vote of the people with no war exception, so there was an election and the Department of War lost the right to seize San Diego. Instead, the Department of War deposited $2,000,000 in the City coffers, but drafted all city personnel between the ages of 18 and 50, so the City Council passed a law authorizing Mexican citizens who could speak English to run the City during the war. The Department of War built San Diego Harbor with dredging beginning in 1940. After the war, the Department of War continued to dredge and re-build the San Diego River, dumping millions of tons of sand on Ocean Beach. They funded the OB Pier. To re-place it, we will need federal funding. Now you see where that is going?
Huh?!? References please.
Another thing that will drag on and on and on. Either replace it or conclude it’s not worth it and demolish the damn thing and move on. I’ve lived in SD since 1986 and throughout the 70s came down here a lot from LA. Always made a point to hang out in OB and the pier. It has been a major part of my life. Time to accept change.
The pelican and seagulls in joy it. You probably can build a paramid in less time.
I sincerely miss the OB pier and have often walked it, photographed it and loved its unique beauty ever since moving to San Diego in 1980. Used and appreciated by millions over the years, I do not understand why repairing or replacing the OB pier isn’t a major priority?
I honestly don’t expect a new pier to ever be built. Does anybody really think any city government that weasels its way into power will somehow cough up tens of millions of dollars when the reality is that they are putting in parking meters at Balboa Park trying to pay the bills they already have that won’t even touch the deficit and interest they’re already on the hook for? Not very likely.
Remember, it’s all about personal profit and whatever publicity they can squeeze out of it to benefit themselves politically. For the most part, we ‘elect’ whomever the wealthy elite that own and operate this country tells us to because they fund the propaganda that are designed to massage our subconscious into doing so. Psychology is powerful stuff, ya know?
But if by some miracle a new pier actually starts to happen, the entire cost should be set aside in an untouchable-by-any-politician account expressly designated for the rebuilding. Not as an ’emergency fund’ for some other cause, but strictly for one purpose. I personally would absolutely love to see the Pier rebuilt even if my memories of surfing Southside for all those years would not fit into the new reality a new pier would bring. Hopefully not too much more damage would occur to the reef below…
We have ample examples of how a project like this shouldn’t work, so care should be taken protecting the funding from the greed of politicians!
And work should NOT begin with the base and head west, either. It should have already been started because it’s going to take how much money and time de-constructing the old pier which NEEDS TAKEN APART AND REMOVED? All of it! The concrete pilings right down to the rock reef need cut off and yanked up, all the slabs that make up the deck air-lifted out, and that’s IF the city begins this project before the entire damned rotting hulk drops piecemeal into the ocean which I’m assuming would create additional problems and expense pulling the broken multi-ton chunks of concrete off the reef up out of the water.
Winter swells are coming and the poor OB Pier is like a tottering old lady spider who has already lost a couple of legs. I wouldn’t be surprised a bit to pop into the RAG one morning and see fresh photos of sections completely missing or maybe huge deck slabs at an angle disappearing into the water after some huge storm swell came through… It’s going to be a disaster when it starts to go as attached slabs will drag other slabs and the wreck will accelerate of its own accord.
Maybe when the country is in the depths of the coming Republican Great Depression II that DJT is bringing on (like every other ‘business’ he’s destroyed) as he mimics a president named Hoover using that incredibly ignorant financial idiocy he has shown his entire life that his Wharton School of Business professor remarked on…. Maybe only then will a new FDR rise up from the rubble of this destroyed economy and again a WPA and CCC will be created by a new administration with the foresight to see beyond their greed and avarice. Probably after the US holds a second Nuremberg Trial I’m thinking….
Sorry for being so blunt.
sealintheSelkirks
It’s extremely heartbreaking and tragic that a beloved landmark, a haven for local fishing folk, where locals and visitors could take a quiet early morning walk or enchanting sunset stroll such has the OB Pier is facing demolition and possible extinction. How much time and how many studies does it take? And how ironic that the city can spend $12.5 million on bike lanes for a single road (Pershing Drive) which is lightly used. Who is in charge? Where is the transparency? As one who used to love to fish off the OB Pier said, “Something smells fishy and it ain’t the fish!
Ditto. Word.