Ocean Beach Pier Renewal Project

It is the end of an era for this version of the iconic Ocean Beach Pier. We have decided that the safest and most cost-effective option for the damaged structure is to keep it closed to public access while moving forward with a long-term solution to replace it.

The Ocean Beach Pier has been closed since it was damaged by high surf a year ago. Additional and more significant damage occurred in December 2023 when a support bracket — or “pile” — broke off and fell into the ocean. Engineering teams have determined that any work to rehabilitate the pier is not feasible, especially given the likelihood of additional damage occurring during future winter storms. The pier does not pose an immediate threat to public safety.

We continue to make progress on the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project. There have been four community workshops since April 2023 to gather input from the community about what they would like to see in a new pier. That input was used to develop the preferred design concept for a potential replacement pier which incorporates iconic elements of the existing 58-year-old pier and aesthetic elements that offer something modern and new for future generations to enjoy. Our consultants are currently making minor updates to the design concept based on the most recent feedback received from the community regarding specific pier amenities like lighting and shade options. The updated design concept is expected to be released this fall.

Staff are working to acquire the proper environmental permits for the project under the California Environmental Quality Act and engage with the appropriate stakeholders to get feedback during the Environmental Impact Report process, as well as acquire proper funding. The current estimated cost range for the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project is $170-$190 million. The construction timeline is yet to be determined but will be provided once the environmental permitting process and funding acquisition process are complete. A current project timeline is available on the project webpage, OBPierRenewal.com.

This summer, the City implemented a Citywide Project Labor Agreement (PLA). The PLA is an agreement between the City, the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council and the signatory Craft Unions to establish terms and conditions of employment for particular City-procured Capital Improvements Program (CIP) projects. It will help ensure timely and budget-conscious completion, provide a steady source of skilled workers and promote local hiring and high standards for worker safety. This fiscal year, the PLA will govern contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Citywide PLA was made possible by San Diego voters’ passage of Measure D in November 2022, reversing a 10-year-old ban on such agreements. Mayor Todd Gloria signed the first-of-its-kind agreement into law in February. Additional information regarding the PLA can be found at sandiego.gov/compliance/project-labor-agreement.

We celebrated a major asphalt overlay milestone this summer. During FY 2024, which ran from July 2023 to June 2024, we provided new life to over 71 miles of roadways, including major segments of University Avenue, Convoy Street, Ingraham Street and Navajo Road. That is well beyond our initial goal of 60 miles of overlay for the fiscal year.

Our work doesn’t stop there. Crews are already working toward our FY 2025 goal of 75 miles of asphalt overlay. For a look at some of our recent work, click on the communities below:

Otay Mesa • Mira Mesa • San Carlos

Clairemont Mesa • Colina Del Sol

Mission Bay • Pacific Beach

Scripps Ranch • Kearny Mesa

Balboa Park • Sorrento Valley

Celebrating Staff

National Public Works Week

From May 19 to 25, we celebrated National Public Works Week, recognizing thousands of dedicated public works employees who plan, build, manage and operate the critical infrastructure, systems and services that improve the lives of all San Diegans. This year’s theme, “Advancing Quality of Life for All,” highlighted the way our public works professionals provide essential services that lead to healthier, happier and more vibrant communities. The work taking place across San Diego wouldn’t be possible without these individuals and we are thankful for their dedication and service to the City and its residents!

International Women in Engineering Day

In June, we gave a special shoutout to the women who work each and every day to make San Diego a great place to live. This was part of International Women in Engineering Day. Hundreds of women engineers are busy building our communities and making San Diego America’s finest city.

Award-winning projects

All our staff members have worked extremely hard to deliver the most advanced and highest-quality infrastructure for San Diego. The finished products are something that we are proud to say are among the best in the country. Over the past year, we have been recognized with dozens of awards at national, state and local levels, including the West Mission Bay Drive Bridge project, the Gilman Drive Storm Drain Emergency project and many more. Thank you to everyone who helps plan for, design and construct these pieces of critical infrastructure that will serve our communities for decades to come!

Pure Water San Diego is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing a sustainable and resilient water supply for our city.

Through an advanced purification process which includes filtration, reverse osmosis and UV disinfection, Pure Water San Diego transforms recycled water into high-quality drinking water. With innovative technology and water recycling practices, Pure Water San Diego reduces reliance on imported water sources and helps ensure water security for the region.

The forward-thinking project not only safeguards against droughts and water shortages but also promotes environmental stewardship by conserving resources and minimizing wastewater discharge into the ocean. Pure Water San Diego represents a significant step towards achieving water independence and sustainability for San Diego.

To achieve these goals, our contractors have been hard at work building the necessary infrastructure. Massive water treatment facilities are being constructed and miles of new pipelines are being installed across the city.

One site for this work is at the intersection of Sherman and Custer Streets: the Morena Pump Station. This facility is being built to pump millions of gallons of raw wastewater each day to the North City Reclamation Plant for treatment. Constructing a facility like this is no easy task, and sometimes creativity is a necessity.

Recently, crews performed soil freezing to help support the ground near the facility’s construction site. Soil freezing is an innovative technique that reinforces soil and improves site conditions by installing a closed system of pipes into the ground and running refrigerant through them. This freezes the surrounding soil to create an extremely stable and impermeable wall.

The Morena Pump Station is just one piece in a long list of interconnected Pure Water projects. The goal is to have these facilities up and running to provide nearly half of San Diego’s water supply locally by the end of 2035.

Parks Progress

Balboa Park Botanical Building

The Balboa Park Botanical Building improvements project is coming together. Take a look inside as crews progress through renovations of the historic building, which first opened back in 1915. We look forward to welcoming back visitors later this year! 

Wangenheim Joint-Use Facility

Residents in Mira Mesa are enjoying part of the newly improved Wangenheim Joint-Use Park. This summer, the athletic fields and comfort station included in this project were completed and opened up for public use. The rest of the project is still in progress and is expected to be completed early next year.

Leadership and Management Academy

Continuing our commitment from last fiscal year to invest in the professional and technical growth of our staff, our training team launched the inaugural Leadership and Management Academy earlier this year. Over four days, supervisors participated in a comprehensive program led by experts from Engineering and Capital Projects and Human Resources. The academy covered essential topics such as boundaries, delegation, managing difficult conversations, and more. Our goal is to empower supervisors with the confidence and tools needed to navigate various challenging situations effectively.

From left to right: Abrina Sturdivant, Aaron Kerper, Amy McKee and Moloud Azad.

We spoke with Abrina Sturdivant, a Training Supervisor in E&CP's Business Operations and Employee Services Division, to learn a little about her position. She helps lead the training team, which includes fellow training supervisor Amy McKee and trainers Aaron Kerper and Moloud Azad.

Q: How long have you been with the City of San Diego? 

A: We are all fairly new and have been with the City for two years or less. Also, we all came from outside the City and had very different backgrounds before working here.

Q: What are your duties as the training team? 

A: Our primary duties are to create, deliver and report on training. We usually develop our training ourselves after doing extensive research on the topic. We also work with other divisions to provide support for their trainings, which includes running hybrid meetings or booking and setting up venues.

In addition, we support three different academies: the Project Management Academy, the Construction Management Academy and the Leadership and Management Academy. While our involvement in each of these academies varies, our primary duties are to plan, coordinate and help execute the events. We will also be expanding our e-learning course development capabilities later this year.

Q: How does your job impact E&CP?

A: Our job is an integral role in training E&CP staff. We ensure that they have the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed at E&CP and within the City.

Q: What's your favorite part of your job?

A: The best part of our job is meeting new people and seeing how our training impacts their work with the City. The academies we host help give employees the knowledge they need to be successful in their careers and to be a part of that is very rewarding.

It is also fun to deliver trainings. We get to pick new topics and research them and then it is rewarding to share the information with the rest of the department.

Join our team!

The City and E&CP are seeking highly skilled candidates to join our team. Currently, the City has more than 11,000 diverse and dedicated employees serving our communities. If you are interested in learning more about the available positions, check out the City's open jobs.

E&CP offers a collaborative and inclusive workplace with opportunities to contribute to our culture through employee-driven committees, a mentoring program and an extensive learning and development program. We invite you to learn more about working for E&CP by visiting our hiring page.

If you would like to receive regular email updates from the Engineering & Capital Projects Department, including Infrastructure Quarterly, click on the "Sign Up for Updates" button above and follow the provided instructions. Make sure to select the "*Engineering & Capital Projects Department News & Announcements" email list.

Stay Informed, Stay Connected: Subscribe to Inside San Diego for the Latest City News and Updates Delivered Right to You!

As a valued subscriber of Infrastructure Quarterly, we want to extend a special invitation to join the Inside San Diego community. Subscribe to receive City news from Inside San Diego today by email or text. Click here to subscribe: public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CASANDIEGO/signup/39972.