The OB Pier and its shuttered Pier Café have effectively become a wild, windswept roost for pelicans, seagulls, and every other coastal bird that can find a ledge. The structures are now coated in layers of bird droppings, giving the once-beloved café and railings a ghostly, chalk-white appearance. With no foot traffic, no maintenance, and no oversight, the pier has also turned into a magnet for aspiring graffiti “artists,” whose tags now stretch across walls, windows, benches, and even structural supports. Residents say that in addition to the vandalism, the abandoned buildings are being quietly picked apart by looters stripping fixtures and equipment - a slow-motion scavenging that has left the iconic landmark looking more like an urban ruin than the community treasure it once was.
One local recently described the scene bluntly: “The pier structure and cafe are being looted of anything of value. And graffiti is everywhere not only on the cafe but spreading like gangrene around OB.”
The pier has been closed to the public since October 2023, when heavy surf caused significant structural damage. Additional damage in December 2023, including a broken support bracket that fell into the ocean, convinced city engineers that rehabilitation was no longer feasible. A 2018 study by consultant Moffatt & Nichol had already concluded that the 1966-era concrete fishing pier was beyond its useful life and should ultimately be replaced rather than repaired.
The pier has been closed to the public since October 2023, when heavy surf caused significant structural damage. Additional damage in December 2023, including a broken support bracket that fell into the ocean, convinced city engineers that rehabilitation was no longer feasible. A 2018 study by consultant Moffatt & Nichol had already concluded that the 1966-era concrete fishing pier was beyond its useful life and should ultimately be replaced rather than repaired.
In August 2024, the City of San Diego formally acknowledged that repairing the existing pier was off the table and confirmed that the “safest and most cost-effective option” was to keep it closed while pursuing a full replacement. Officials stress that the structure does not pose an immediate threat to public safety but have posted additional warning signs and reiterated that it is illegal to swim, surf, wade, or skin dive within 75 feet of any city-owned fishing pier.
At the same time, the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project has inched forward through a lengthy planning process. Over the last two years, the city and its engineering team hosted multiple community workshops, gathered input from thousands of residents, and proposed a bold “Braid” design concept that adds curves, multi-level walking paths, a surfer’s lounge, improved fishing amenities, and new gathering spaces while preserving the spirit of the original structure.
The refined design calls for a new pier built largely along the existing footprint but at a higher elevation to better withstand wave action and future sea-level rise. Once environmental permits and funding are secured, demolition of the current pier and construction of the new one would occur concurrently, with work starting at the base and progressing seaward.
That vision, however, remains years away. The estimated cost of the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project now stands between $170 million and $190 million, covering everything from planning and environmental review through construction. The city currently has about $8.4 million in state funding designated for the effort and is pursuing additional state and federal grants, including support tied to the proposed American Pier Revitalization Act.
At the same time, the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project has inched forward through a lengthy planning process. Over the last two years, the city and its engineering team hosted multiple community workshops, gathered input from thousands of residents, and proposed a bold “Braid” design concept that adds curves, multi-level walking paths, a surfer’s lounge, improved fishing amenities, and new gathering spaces while preserving the spirit of the original structure.
The refined design calls for a new pier built largely along the existing footprint but at a higher elevation to better withstand wave action and future sea-level rise. Once environmental permits and funding are secured, demolition of the current pier and construction of the new one would occur concurrently, with work starting at the base and progressing seaward.
That vision, however, remains years away. The estimated cost of the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project now stands between $170 million and $190 million, covering everything from planning and environmental review through construction. The city currently has about $8.4 million in state funding designated for the effort and is pursuing additional state and federal grants, including support tied to the proposed American Pier Revitalization Act.
City staff have said a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required under the California Environmental Quality Act, a process that can take two to five years depending on findings and regulatory feedback. The project must also secure Site and Coastal Development Permits and navigate reviews by agencies including the California Coastal Commission, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Early projections suggested an EIR could be ready for public review around 2026, with bidding possibly in 2026 or 2027 and construction starting closer to 2028. Once underway, building the new pier is expected to take several years.
For longtime residents and former members of the now-disbanded Ocean Beach Pier Task Force, that timeline is painful. They have repeatedly emphasized that the pier was not only a beloved public space and “crown jewel” of the coastline but also a major economic engine for Ocean Beach and the wider region. With the structure fenced off, the popular Walking on Water Café permanently closed after 30 years, and no firm start date for construction, many locals worry the neighborhood’s defining icon is being left to rot.
Meanwhile, the physical condition of the closed pier has become a growing point of contention. From the beach, visitors can see boarded-up windows, tagging on the abandoned café structure, and signs of decay. Residents say the longer the pier remains sealed and unattended, the more it invites trespassing, vandalism, and theft of fixtures and equipment remaining in the shuttered businesses. City reports have focused on structural damage and safety risks but have not publicly detailed how, or whether, the pier is being actively secured against trespassing.
The upcoming Ocean Beach Christmas Auction at The Harp is one of the few bright spots in the pier’s current limbo. Organizers say they will offer items salvaged from the former pier café and bait shop - emphasizing that the pieces were obtained legally - giving locals a chance to own a small piece of history while raising funds and awareness. For many, it’s a bittersweet reminder that the pier’s past is being preserved in bits and pieces even as the structure itself deteriorates.
For now, Ocean Beach is left with an iconic silhouette behind locked gates, a glossy concept for its replacement, a nine-figure price tag, and a long list of permits and funding hurdles still to clear. In the gap between what once was and what might someday be, residents say the city needs to do more than issue renderings and reports: they want visible stewardship of the existing structure, enforcement against vandalism, and clearer communication about when San Diego’s most famous fishing pier will stop decaying and start being rebuilt.
For longtime residents and former members of the now-disbanded Ocean Beach Pier Task Force, that timeline is painful. They have repeatedly emphasized that the pier was not only a beloved public space and “crown jewel” of the coastline but also a major economic engine for Ocean Beach and the wider region. With the structure fenced off, the popular Walking on Water Café permanently closed after 30 years, and no firm start date for construction, many locals worry the neighborhood’s defining icon is being left to rot.
Meanwhile, the physical condition of the closed pier has become a growing point of contention. From the beach, visitors can see boarded-up windows, tagging on the abandoned café structure, and signs of decay. Residents say the longer the pier remains sealed and unattended, the more it invites trespassing, vandalism, and theft of fixtures and equipment remaining in the shuttered businesses. City reports have focused on structural damage and safety risks but have not publicly detailed how, or whether, the pier is being actively secured against trespassing.
The upcoming Ocean Beach Christmas Auction at The Harp is one of the few bright spots in the pier’s current limbo. Organizers say they will offer items salvaged from the former pier café and bait shop - emphasizing that the pieces were obtained legally - giving locals a chance to own a small piece of history while raising funds and awareness. For many, it’s a bittersweet reminder that the pier’s past is being preserved in bits and pieces even as the structure itself deteriorates.
For now, Ocean Beach is left with an iconic silhouette behind locked gates, a glossy concept for its replacement, a nine-figure price tag, and a long list of permits and funding hurdles still to clear. In the gap between what once was and what might someday be, residents say the city needs to do more than issue renderings and reports: they want visible stewardship of the existing structure, enforcement against vandalism, and clearer communication about when San Diego’s most famous fishing pier will stop decaying and start being rebuilt.
Originally published on November 21, 2025.
