Santa Monica Pier soon may undergo major renovations

The Santa Monica Pier, the traditional western endpoint of Route 66, will undergo major reconstruction that may start as soon as next month, according to the Santa Monica Mirror.

According to the newspaper:

In all, a 360-foot by 36-foot portion of the Pier, or 12,960 total square feet, will be demolished and then reconstructed over an eight-month period, according to City Hall’s plans. Construction might start as early as March and be completed in early 2014.

However, construction may be delayed to accommodate the surge in summer vacationers to the immediate area, though 2014’s summer vacationers would be affected by the tail end of the project.

The Santa Monica Patch reports the project will cost about $8 million. Public Works Director Martin Pastucha said the part of the pier that will be rebuilt shows “limited capacity” to support the weight of emergency vehicles.

Dan Rice, owner of the 66-to-Cali on the pier, says the project won’t affect his souvenir stand because it sits on an unaffected section. Even so, the impact to most businesses should be limited.

“Instead of a 30-foot walkway on the pier, there will be a 10-foot section (during reconstruction),” he said.

Rice said he’s still running 66-to-Cali on a month-to-month basis, after learning in the fall that renewal of his lease may be rejected. He said the pier corporation voted unanimously to recommend a new three- to five-year lease for the stand.

However, that’s no guarantee the City Council will give final approval. Rice previously said his chief competitors on the pier want him gone and may sway councilors to reject the lease.

“I don’t want to give anybody false hope,” Rice said.

He said he may learn as soon as this week whether he’ll receive a new lease for his stand.

(Photo of the Santa Monica Pier by AquaMaven, via Flickr)