Harbor Island West Marina has broken ground on a $70 million overhaul that’s been in the works for more than a decade.
The redevelopment is set to be completed in 2028. It would create 623 new slips and boater amenities such as a lounge, fitness center, pool and spa spanning 3.8 acres of land and 22 acres of water.
This project is a part of the Port of San Diego’s master plan to revitalize San Diego’s waterfront and modernize its infrastructure.
“Harbor Island has long been an iconic part of San Diego’s waterfront, and this revitalization helps ensure it continues serving boaters, visitors, and our community for generations to come,” said Vice Chair Michael Zucchet, a San Diego appointee to the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners.
Anthony Gordon, vice president of real estate for the Port of San Diego, added in an emailed statement that the agency is grateful to the operators of the marina for their willingness to invest in the future of Harbor Island and open doors for more visitors.
Beauchamp Leslie Development and Management, a family-owned business that has leased and operated the marina since 1981, began drafting plans to reimagine the property in 2014.
In the project’s early stages, it was originally estimated to cost about $30 million, a total that has increased by $40 million since the initial proposal.
Eric Leslie, CEO of Beauchamp Leslie, said in an interview with Times of San Diego that the groundbreaking last month was a “bit of relief” after so many years of work.
Harbor Island West Marina’s $70 million redevelopment project will modernize the marina and expand waterfront amenities on San Diego Bay. (Rendering by Harbor Island West Marina)Between the amount of inspections, approvals needed from various agencies, negotiations on the new lease and the pause caused by COVID-19, a project that was meant to take two years carried on far longer than expected.
There was even an ongoing joke in the marina that the rebuild was two years away for 10 years.
Leslie has been with the company since the 1990s, and in 2010 they began to notice the facilities and amenities of the marina were outdated. From then on they began planning the best way to deliver a new product to boaters.
“Alongside our community partners, we’re focused on creating an anchor waterfront destination that will allow boaters and the public to experience the bay with improved access and more comfortable, modern amenities,” Leslie said.
As he said at the groundbreaking ceremony, “This is an exciting step forward in San Diego Bay’s continued transformation.”
Tom Bossenger, a yacht broker at California Yacht Sales, said he has known Leslie since he was in high school and his business has been part of the marina since 2004. He is currently operating out of a trailer while construction proceeds.
“It was extraordinarily bittersweet,” Bossenger said when he came in for work one day and saw the bulldozers at the marina ready to tear down his office of the last 20 years. During that period, he also, for a short time, lived in a boat in the marina.
The marina on the west side of Harbor Island is one of the oldest in the port, and was due for a fresh new look, he said. The docks and buildings showed their age.
“San Diego is just such a gem of a city,” Bossenger said. “Our waterfront properties represent that.”
He said this transformation is “100-percent positive” and necessary for the future of the marina and its tight-knit community.
Chuck Skewes, a sail maker and owner of Ulman Sails, had operated his business out of the marina since 2020, but recently moved due to the construction.
“It’s a positive thing for the boating industry,” Skewes said. “It’s going to fit the needs for the boaters much more than what was there before.”
Skewes is excited to see the marina turn into a “destination location” with the redevelopment having transient spots for boaters traveling down the Pacific Coast into Mexico.
Beyond the marina’s iconic location and 50 years of history, Leslie said the location’s “family-oriented atmosphere” makes it special.
Close relationships with the boaters influence operations, he said, and the operators take the time to serve them the best they can.
“It’s not just a marina business, but it’s a people business,” Leslie said.
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