South Bay : CONSTRUCTION BEGINS

Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island is in the process of a major face-lift that will give the bustling waterfront area a uniform architectural style and repair public walkways and lighting fixtures.

The restoration project is funded by a $2.4-million grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, according to Avalon City Manager Rob Clark, and will be completed over two years.

The project includes a refurbishing of the Cabrillo Mole Terminal, where boats unload passengers from the mainland, installing paved bricks on the walkway that extends from the picnic area to Front Street, adding lighting fixtures and replacing the walkway railings. In addition, a private donor will pay for improvements at South Beach by adding small thatched shelters for shade, with seating.

“We serve one million visitors per year and this is the main area that they see,” Clark said. “We want to make the area safer and more attractive for all those people. Besides, our economy is based on people having a pleasant experience here and coming back.”