Hermosa Beach’s 1,140-foot pier, a downtown staple since 1965, is officially in rough shape. An engineering assessment has rated the structure in poor to serious condition and warns that the city may be staring down a full rebuild with a price tag in the tens of millions. City leaders are now trying to thread the needle between short-term fixes and long-term survival for the beachfront icon, with demolition technically on the table.
The assessment flags cracked deck panels, eroded pile caps, and other structural trouble spots. It recommends a round of high-priority repairs in the next one to two years to avoid reducing the pier’s load rating even further. Those immediate fixes are estimated at $3.25 million, with another roughly $3.22 million in medium-priority work recommended by 2030, according to the New York Post.
Engineering findings and load limits
Built in 1965, the current pier was originally designed to handle 10-ton trucks. That is no longer the case. The new assessment says the structure’s load rating has been cut back to pedestrian traffic and vehicles under 5 tons, which makes everyday maintenance harder and could complicate emergency response.
The pier’s length and basic design details are outlined on the city’s official website, the City of Hermosa Beach, but the latest report suggests that age and ocean exposure are catching up fast.
Price tags and timeline
If Hermosa Beach opts to go all in and replace the pier outright, the report pegs the cost at about $44.5 million in 2025 dollars. That kind of project does not happen overnight. The assessment warns that a complete rebuild could take six to eight years before any active construction starts, given the design work, environmental reviews, permitting, and funding the city would have to secure. Those figures were highlighted by the New York Post.
City moves and local reaction
At a recent council meeting, officials agreed to move forward with the high-priority repair package while they wrestle with the bigger question of what to do over the long haul. Options on the table include trying to maintain the aging structure for more than $200 million, pursuing a slate of repairs in the roughly $45 million range, or removing the pier entirely.
Local businessman Joe Sanclemente told the Daily Breeze that time is not exactly on the pier’s side, saying, “once you get past about 50 years, there’s a useful life of any structure, and then you begin to deteriorate more rapidly.”
What this means for visitors and the Walk of Fame
For now, the city is trying to keep the pier safe and open while planning for whatever comes next. Officials say they will remove the existing Walk of Fame plaques from the pier deck and shift future plaques to the handrails so the tributes stay put even if parts of the deck do not.
The immediate work plan calls for replacing four concrete deck panels and repairing 14 others to stabilize the walkway, according to the City of Hermosa Beach. Council members say grant hunting and other funding decisions will heavily influence any long-range plan. Residents can expect more public debate and budget scrutiny in the coming months as the city lines up its options for one of Hermosa’s most recognizable landmarks.
