SAN DIEGO - A $700,000 state grant will help the city of San Diego pay for repairs to the seawall at Mission Beach, area political leaders announced Friday.

The $2.4 million project will repair cracks and fill chunks in the 88-year-old divider between the beach and boardwalk, homes and businesses. In some areas, reinforcement bars are exposed and edges are sharp, creating hazards to walkers, skateboarders and bicyclists.

"This has to be done," San Diego Mayor Bob Filner said. "Our residents need it, our tourists need it, it's a part of history, and it's a matter of safety."

Some beachgoers like Casey Cole said the cracks add to the personality of Mission Beach.

Cole said, "It could definitely look better, but for me, I come here all the time and it's what it always is … and I like it the way that it is. So, I wouldn't put money into it for that reason."

The rest of the costs are set to be paid for with a $25 million bond issue. That money will pay for various infrastructure projects such as road repairs and upgrades to branch libraries.

Filner, along with Councilman Kevin Faulconer and Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, announced that the grant was awarded by the state Department of Water Resources Local Levee Assistance Program, which goes to projects designed to prevent flooding.