Eighteen months after the public section of Pacific Beach’s Crystal Pier closed in December 2023 owing to damage from many storms, the pier has now fully reopened.
Significant stabilizing work was done on the closed area, which was outside the Crystal Pier Hotel.
“Thanks to the hard work and cooperation of city employees and Bill and Claudia Allen from the Crystal Pier Hotel, the famous Crystal Pier will once again be accessible to the public,” stated Joe LaCava, president of the San Diego municipal Council.
Even if the pier is open and technically sound, efforts will be made to make it more resilient to storms that get stronger and tides that rise.
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In January 2024, workers started the first stage of emergency construction on the almost century-old pier, replacing dozens of broken or damaged bracing that held the timber structure in place. In May 2024, those repairs were finished.
Eight of the pier piles were broken or damaged by rough seas while that work was being done. In order to replace or repair the piles, a second round of urgent work was initiated in late 2024 and completed in March 2025.
After that emergency construction was finished, technicians turned their attention to non-emergency work in order to replace and repair the remaining damaged braces.
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All of the aforementioned construction concentrated on the pier’s publicly owned sections. The Crystal Pier Hotel is the owner of the easternmost half of the pier’s broader part, and they are in charge of any repairs made there.
The city claims that $2.06 million was spent.
Although there are presently no plans for further pier construction, officials will keep an eye on the building in case it sustains any damage in the future.
