OCEAN BEACH – Opened in 1966 as a free public sport fishing pier, the Ocean Beach Pier was permanently closed 57 years later in October 2023, due to its deteriorating condition.
With the fate of OB Pier in the balance, Times of San Diego conducted a “shout out” to ask business owners and residents to discuss how they’ve been affected by the pier’s closure. We also asked if people felt OB’s unique “vibe” had changed.
Here’s what they had to say:
Wendy Adelstein, owner of The Philosopher’s Stone at 4967 Newport Ave., Suite 5, said there’s no doubt about the impact of the pier’s closure on local business.
“Talk to any business owner on Newport Avenue, and they’ll tell you sales are down,” she said. “Yes, people have less money in their pockets. But without our top tourist attraction, there are even fewer people walking around.
“Honestly, it’s sad watching our pier disintegrate in front of our eyes, knowing that the astronomical cost of the proposed replacement is out of reach,” Adelstein said. “At this point, I think the OB community would be happy with a scaled-down [pier] version, one with a significantly lower price tag and maybe even utilizing new ‘blue wave’ technology so the pier could pay for itself over time.”
Zack Heinz, co-owner of Mad Much Grilled Cheezer Co. at 4871 Newport Ave., said that the pier’s closure has had minimal effect on his business. “To be honest, it’s not truly made a difference, though I would like to see it opened again.”
Denny Knox, executive director of Ocean Beach MainStreet Association, said: “We’re ever hopeful that the OB Pier project will move forward and result in a newly designed pier that will last upwards of 100 years. It represents the singular most important asset in our community. We expect that a special maintenance fund will be developed to ensure that we never let such an iconic part of OB fall into disrepair in the future.”
Despite the pier’s closure, she says the community’s distinctive vibe remains fully intact. “OB still has such a great vibe as evidenced by the Holiday Parade and the last OB Street Fair,” Knox said.
Aaron Null, owner of Vervor Design & Shop at 4689 Voltaire St., noted his shop is mostly unaffected by the pier’s closure, given that it is east of the beachfront. Nonetheless, he acknowledged, “The community sorely misses it being open, and having zero timeline for repair or something to pin our hopes on is really disheartening.”
Ralph Teyssier, an OB Pier Task Force Group member and the son of Leonard Teyssier, the structural engineer who built the pier, said it’s time for local community leaders to “step up if they really want to see any movement from the administration.”
Retired lifeguard Ed Harris, who was appointed interim District 2 council member from April to December 2014 when Kevin Faulconer became mayor, doubts the pier will ever be replaced.
“I never expected it to be rebuilt,” he said. “If you look at local projects like the OB Lifeguard Tower and the playground next to it, the NTC pool proposal, and the OB Library, there is a track record.
“The city is great at making advocates feel good by holding meetings led by consultants who drag out the process and never accomplish the goal,” Harris added. “They allocate design money to distract those pushing for progress, only to move the money shortly after to other priorities.”
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