City Unseals New Set of Bids for Pier Plaza Project

Huntington Beach received nine bids Wednesday to build the city’s $11.6-million Pier Plaza Project, envisioned to be a dazzling gateway that will draw tourists to the beach and municipal pier.

“I guarantee you, it will knock your socks off when it’s done,” said Ron Hagan, the city’s community services director.

“It’s a blighted area right now,” he said, with a boarded-up restaurant, cracked stairways, sinkholes in the north parking lot and other problems. “That area looks like a slum.”

The new entrance to the pier will stretch along a mile of the beach and include a new restaurant, a lawn area, handicapped beach access, an amphitheater and improved concessions, restrooms and showers.

TS Restaurants, owner of the planned Duke’s Surf City eatery, will pay $5.4 million and the city will pay the remaining $6.2 million for the project.

Hagan said the bids opened Wednesday ranged from $3.7 million to $6.8 million, with the majority close to $5 million--the city’s estimate for the cost of plaza construction. He and his staff will review the bids over the next few days to see which ones qualify.

The city expects to award a construction bid April 7, six months after it rejected five previous bids--ranging from $4.3 million to $5.6 million--as too high. The project also was delayed by legal wrangling with a disgruntled concession owner.

Monday night the City Council discussed plans for selling bonds to help pay for both the plaza and a new radio system for police, fire and other city agencies. The city is putting up the central library as collateral.

After ominous warnings from advisors at the meeting about the responsibilities of issuing debt, Mayor Ralph H. Bauer joked, “Are we still sure we want to issue these bonds? I may be sick that day.”

Proceeds from investors buying the bonds will enable the city to pay for the two projects. The city then repays the investors with interest, spread out over 30 years for the pier money and 10 years for the radio system.

The new radio system replaces one that is 25 years old, and will be part of a countywide project to improve and link communications among public agencies.