Port of Los Angeles Breaks Ground on San Pedro Waterfront

Port of Los Angeles officials broke ground March 15 on a project that will prepare a section of the San Pedro waterfront for a new public open space and harbor area.

The Downtown Harbor “water cut” will create the necessary land and harbor infrastructure to accommodate the development of a new town square and promenade on the water.

The location, just north of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, will become a centerpiece of the ongoing revitalization of the Los Angeles Waterfront.

The Downtown Harbor project will cut into approximately 1.2 acres of existing waterfront land along Harbor Boulevard between Fire Station 112 to the north and the L.A. Maritime Museum to the south. It will create a new harbor inlet for vessels to dock and approximately 700 linear feet of promenade. Surrounding the inlet will be a modern town square, featuring landscaping, lighting and expansive promenades.

The $21 million project, estimated to create 98 one-year equivalent jobs, is expected to be completed in mid-2013. Development of the Downtown Harbor town square and promenade will follow at a cost of approximately $17.5 million and is expected to be completed in 2014.

Materials excavated will be used to fill the site of the Berth 200 West Basin rail project slated to begin later this year. By using the materials at the West Basin project instead of hauling it away, the port will save as much as $8 million in dredge material disposal costs. The project marks the first time the port is requiring the dredging process be done with electric equipment, significantly reducing emissions.

Due to the construction, the parking lot between Fire Station 112 and the Los Angeles Maritime Museum will no longer be available. The parking lot across the street from Acapulco restaurant is available for general visitor parking. The Los Angeles Maritime Museum will remain open during the project with no interruption to its regular hours.