An iconic SoCal pier could disappear forever unless the city forks over tens of millions of dollars to replace the landmark after an engineering report found it was in “poor to serious condition.”
Built in 1965, Hermosa Beach Pier faces an uncertain future with officials weighing costly repairs, full replacement or possible demolition.
Leaders in Hermosa Beach must decide to either maintain it for $200 million plus, to repair it for $45 million and up — or completely demolish it.
The pier, located in the quaint coastal town south of Los Angeles at the foot of Pier Avenue, extends a whopping 1,140 feet from the Strand toward the Pacific Ocean, according to the city’s website.
It is also home to the Surfers Walk of Fame, which includes about 60 bronze plaques honoring local surf legends. It launched in 2003 and is a huge part of the city’s history.
According to the engineering report, “the deck panels are in Poor to Serious condition. The load capacity of the pier is currently governed by the condition of the deck panels.”
“The current pier load rating allows for pedestrian access and vehicles under 5 tons. The pier was originally designed for 10-ton trucks,” the report states.
“Repairs to the deck panels in Serious condition must be conducted within the next 1-2 years to avoid a reduction in the current pier load rating of 5 tons, restriction of vehicles, and partial pier closures,” it added.
The report, which was compiled by months of inspections, is filled with pictures showing cracks throughout the long structure, with officials noting that high-priority repairs need to start this year if they are going to save it, the Hermosa Review reported.
“Once you get past about 50 years, there’s a useful life of any structure, and then you begin to deteriorate more rapidly,” Public Works Director Joe SanClemente told the Daily Breeze. “And so it’s really a decision, do we keep fixing it at more costly repairs?”
The following breaks down the city’s options.
- High-priority is $3.25 million to replace 4 concrete deck panels and repair 14 others. Must be completed in 1-2 years.
- Medium priority is $3.22 million to repair cracks in 80% of pile caps and repair additional deck panels. This work needs to be done by 2030.
- Spend $44.5 million (in 2025 dollars) to fully replace the pier. This could be a lengthy process, with 6-8 years before construction could begin.
Officials have also planned to remove existing Walk of Fame plaques and move future ones to the handrails because the report found that the surfing plaques are damaging the pier.
During a city council meeting on Tuesday, leaders approved the completion of “high priority” repairs and asked for more input from city commissions and the public before moving forward, the Daily Breeze reported.
The California Post reached out to city officials for further comment about the pier’s future.
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