Redondo Beach City Council Approves Request for Proposal for Harbor Amenities

REDONDO BEACHー On March 16, the Redondo City Council voted to submit an RFP for a long-awaited harbor revitalization project. The RFP will include a list of priorities discussed by the council and the harbor commission to include moving forward.

The RFP prioritizes amenities like a public boat launch facility, a dinghy dock, and educational features.

“City Council staff have really gotten on board with prioritizing the recreational boating facilities first and then focusing on the commercial development which is a turnaround from 60 years ago when they built hotels and restaurants in a ring around the harbor,” said Mark Hansen, a King Harbor boater. “It is a wonderful and refreshing change in direction to prioritize recreational over commercial.”

The project was first presented to the city council on Jan. 12 where they passed a motion to wait for the harbor commission to have their input on the scope of the harbor revitalization project.

The harbor commission met on Feb. 8 and created a subcommittee for the project to create a draft RFP with Waterfront and Economic Director Stephen Proud, and on March 8 the commission unanimously approved a draft RFP and voted to send it to City Council with the recommendation that they move forward with issuing the RFP.

“The purpose of the planning effort is to really go through all the various amenities that we have and determine which things should be rebuilt and which things should be renovated… that will set a framework for the harbor itself.” said Proud in the March 16 meeting.

The full list of amenities for the RFP are the location and design of the public boat launch facility and required support parking; the location and programmatic elements of a replacement Sportfishing Pier, if any; a plan for the future use, design, and layout of Seaside Lagoon; the location and design of a dinghy dock to serve the harbor mooring field; upgrades to the City’s existing personal watercraft hand launching facility, including the consideration of a zero-depth launch option;  a plan to enhance the waterfront promenade that connects Mole C to the Horseshoe Pier; reduce flooding…along the boardwalk…and possible reconfiguration of Basin 3 boat slip layout; consideration of large public events that may take place within the plan footprint; and consideration of additional amenities, educational features, visitor attractions, and public art.

The project will also include the revitalization of moonstone park, on a separate but expedited track.

The commission recommended two working committees, one for Moonstone Park and one for the other amenities.

The draft RFP sets a target timeline of nine months, six months to prepare draft plans, and three months for review by the commission and the council before moving forward with construction.