Redondo Beach pier

Redondo Beach pier, situated near the western center of Redondo Beach, California, has stretched over the Pacific Ocean in numerous forms. Its official name is "Municipal Pier", but it also goes by the nickname of "Endless Pier". Earlier versions were known as "Pleasure Pier" and "Horseshoe Pier".

It started as a disjointed group of wharves near the end of the 19th century, but evolved into an interconnected structure after a series of storms and demolitions throughout the 20th century. The pier area used to be heavily crowded with tourists and locals during the 1970s, but began to decline after the nearby Seaport Village project failed and went into bankruptcy in 1982.

In 1988, the pier was severely battered by two winter storms, and on May 27th, it burned to the waterline due to an electrical short circuit (the fire was so large that a SigAlert was announced for the San Diego Freeway several miles away). The pier's modern reinforced concrete version was completed in 1995, and has brought back the appeal to Redondo Beach's business district ever since.

Subsequent attempts to resuscitate the area's former popularity have been hindered by the need to comply with California Coastal Conservancy regulations, and the concurrent success of redevelopment projects in the two other Beach Cities, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, and also in the nearby city of Torrance.

A Century of Alternate Versions

* 1889-1915, iron and wood "Wharf No. 1" built approximately where the current pier stands near Emerald Street to facilitate timber delivery from ships to trains; destroyed by a storm

* 1895-1920, Y-shaped wooden pier called "Wharf No. 2" with railroad tracks on one prong, the other for fishermen and tourists; built south of Wharf #1 near Ainsworth Court in front of the Hotel Redondo; severely damaged by a storm in 1919, subsequently open only to fishermen, but manually destroyed for safety reasons

* 1903-1926, wooden "Wharf No. 3" built south of Wharf #2 near Sapphire and Topaz Streets; actively used by lumber industry until 1923 when Pacific Electric's lease expired, which was not renewed, and the pier was manually demolished after a few years as the lumber industry phased out

* 1916-1928, reinforced concrete "Endless/Pleasure Pier" built by George W. Harding; its convert|450|ft|m|sing=on long northern leg stood in the spot previously occupied by Wharf #1, with a 160x200-foot platform at its western terminus, with another convert|450|ft|m|sing=on southern leg returning to the shore to form an overall V-shape; damaged by a 1919 storm; condemned for safety reasons in 1928

* 1925-today, wooden "Monstad Pier" built by Captain Hans C. Monstad for fishing/pleasure boat landings; originally convert|300|ft|m long, extended to convert|400|ft|m in 1937, and convert|50|ft|m wide in 1938

* 1929-1988, wooden "Horseshoe Pier" built after demolition of the Endless/Pleasure Pier; destroyed by a fire

In 1983, the western end of the Monstad Pier was connected to the central platform of the Horseshoe Pier.

From 1988-1995, the southern Y-shaped remnant of the Horseshoe pier that survived the fire remained open to the public. A smaller portion of the northern end remained closed to the public for safety reasons, and was eventually removed completely when the new, concrete version was built.

1990s Pier Facts

On July 29, 1993, the city hosted a formal "Launching" ceremony to announce the pier's reconstruction. On February 11, 1995, another formal ceremony opened the new/current pier. The following facts were listed in souvenir brochures distributed at this ceremony:

* Is convert|70000|sqft|m2 in size

* Sits convert|25|ft|m above the water

* Has over convert|3000|cuyd|m3 of 6,000 P.S.I. concrete decking

* Has 202 concrete piles, the longest being convert|120|ft|m in length

* Required 5 years to commence construction and 18 months to complete

* Required over 150,000 manhours of labor

* Is the largest "endless" pier on the California Coast

* Is the seventh Municipal Pier to be constructed on the shores of Redondo Beach

* Reconstruction Team

:* Architect: Edward Carson Beall and Associates:* Engineer: Theodore J. Anvick, Consulting Engineers:* Contractor: Fletcher-General Construction:* Construction Manager: Concept Marine

The 1993 plans initially allowed for a carousel, wax museum, aquarium, and at least three new restaurants; however, only one new restaurant was added to the deck, and the rest has remained open to pedestrian traffic.

Filming Location

The Redondo Pier was used as a primary filming location for the popular Fox series, "The O.C.". [http://www.seeing-stars.com/OC/ThePier.shtml The O.C. Filming Locations] ]

References

* "Redondo Beach: A Centennial Tribute, 1892-1992" edited by John F. Elliot, 1993

* "Redondo Pier Rebuild Finally Under Way" by Daniel Blackburn, Easy Reader, 29 July 1993 p. 14

* "Pier Pressure" by Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Reader, 3 September 1993, pp. 8-11

* "Redondo Pier Transformation" by Rick Becker, Redondo Beach HIstorical Society Newsletter vol. VI #1, pp. 1, 3-4