Harbor Commission OKs Massive San Pedro Rehab

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission unanimously approved the much-anticipated $1.2 billion San Pedro waterfront revitalization plan on Wednesday. The aim of the project is to improve the long-neglected port district with a 300,000 sf tourist destination of shops and entertainment. If begun in a timely manner, construction on the plan would last a full decade, and would feature an 8.7 mile promenade, new parks, mini harbors, a new cruise ship terminal, and a conference center.

The following day, the US House of Representatives approved a $90,000 budget for the Army Corps of Engineers to study the feasibility of dismantling a portion of the Long Beach breakwater to restore the natural current and improve the quality of beaches located within the wall. According to a private consulting firm, a shortening of the breakwater would indirectly create $7 million in annual sales tax revenues for the city. The Environmental Protection Agency also granted the city $26 million in stimulus funds to help reduce diesel emissions at the nation's largest port.

Long before the construction of local entertainment giants like Universal Studios and Disneyland, the San Pedro waterfront was a major regional tourist attraction. But little of that historic charm remains, as the area has become entirely dependent on international cargo shipping, seeing roughly 7.3 million containers pass through its gates every year. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle the majority of the cargo trade between East Asia and the US. As a result of this enormous volume, the harbor district is also the most heavily polluted area in Southern California, choked with diesel fumes from trucks and water pollution from ships.

While they are not explicitly referenced, the Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 attractions in San Francisco seem to be models for the port. In the 1960s when San Francisco lost the majority of its port capacity to nearby Oakland, the city reconfigured its waterfront assets as tourist attractions. While the Harbor Commission and frustrated locals are eager for a revitalized port district, the Port of Los Angeles is still in its heyday. And next door Port of Long Beach can hardly afford to pick up any slack. But another major goal for the grand plan is to create a more desirable port of call for cruise ship operators, who have been fleeing in droves for San Diego. San Pedro's waterfront is a long way from emulating the pleasant waterfront conditions in San Francisco or San Diego, but pollution reduction should be a higher priority than enticement of tourists.