IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) — Key improvements are on the way to the iconic Imperial Beach pier.
The Port of San Diego is reallocating $1.8 million to make the changes to the city's biggest attraction. The shift comes after the city dropped a plan to build public bathrooms about a half-mile down the beach.
Nearby residents had raised safety concerns.
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"We suddenly realized we only had so much money, we needed to put our efforts into something that was community driven," Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina said.
The pier, built in 1989, replaced its predecessors that had been unable to withstand large waves brought by storms.
By next year, the pier should get more benches, beach-themed art, improved railings with beach-themed messages, more infrastructure for fishers, and a marker at the spot that is the most southwesterly point in the continental U.S.
In 2022, the pier could get shade structures and a cantilevered extension lounge.
"People love to come and walk on the pier," Dedina said. "It's the town plaza for Imperial Beach."
A spokeswoman for the port said the minor improvements don't need any further approval, but the shade structures and extension lounges will need to go through environmental review.
