Venice : Study Advises Pier Repairs

The Venice Pier has been reprieved from the wrecking ball. City officials had assumed that the pier, closed in 1986 after pieces of concrete fell from the upper deck, would need to be demolished. But in a recent report, a consultant found that the structure is basically in good shape and can be repaired for about $2.8 million. The first 600 feet of decking on the pier, handrails, walkways and some pilings need replacement.

Responding to a letter in which Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter urged that the repairs be done as quickly as possible, the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks announced last week that it is looking for a design firm to draw up plans for renovation.

The biggest challenge now, said Frank Catania, director of planning and development, will be raising the money needed for repairs. Galanter proposes that the city ask the Port of Los Angeles to create a tidelands trust endowment that could fund recreational and environmental projects such as the pier.