San Pedro’s 42-acre waterfront development won’t have its grand opening until 2025.
But get ready for an unexpected summer preview.
Plans are fast coming together by developers to prepare the northern end of the 42-acre West Harbor parcel as a summer-long, active space.
The North Park section will be open for pop-up retail, refreshments, outdoor movies, harbor tours, craft fairs, boating events, live entertainment, and a rotating mix of food vendors featuring some of downtown San Pedro’s restaurants.
On May 13, the day before Mothers’ Day, there will be an exhibit and sale sponsored by Makers Market in San Pedro on the site. And, on June 17, San Pedro Pride events will be held there.
Inspired by the some 2,000 people who turned out at the West Harbor development’s groundbreaking on Nov. 12, developers have been brainstorming. They wanted to activate the northernmost parcel that’s not immediately needed for development and figure out how to quickly transform it for summer public access.
The northern section of the finished promenade, called North Park, already has been open for walkers. But, it remains undeveloped for now, offering an open space that developers have decided to put to public use as construction to the south continues.
It’s a concept that builds on the success of the groundbreaking, said Valerie James, vice president of development for West Harbor. The idea is to create programming, provide refreshments and entertainment all while adopting the rotating kiosk model for businesses — on the adjacent area where folks can also just relax on lawn space at the waterfront.
It’s possible some of those smaller businesses could also later be brought into one of the remaining lease spaces.
Creating an area where small retailers can set up shop temporarily and rotate in and out also helps bring in income for the developers. In turn, those funds can go into ensuring the area is maintained as construction continues.
The open section of the promenade, for example, has been a magnet to skateboarders who sometimes are hard on the infrastructure. Graffiti also has appeared on the wood railings. Since the port turned that area over to developers after the groundbreaking, this will make it easier to keep it maintained and watched over, James said.
And fitting right in, James said, will be a temporary spot for The Fish Market (Landing), already being prepped on the southern end of the space, closer to Harbor Boulevard. There are tentative plans plans to open the popular market sometime before Mother’s Day. A ramp will be provided to link the seating areas to the waterfront a short distance away.
The development, said Eric Johnson, president of Jerico Development, is working with the San Pedro Fish Market “on both the interim space in North Park and a long-term home in Building C where it belongs: in San Pedro and on the waterfront.”
The Fish Market will be moved to a second temporary spot soon afterward, however, in about a month, to the more northern end of the North Park pop-up space, closer to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, where a “phase 2” and expanded temporary location will be created.
Eventually, plans are to house the Fish Market permanently in Building C on what will be the completed West Harbor attraction.
While some permanent tenants may be opening up in late 2024, James said, the bulk of the venue will be delivered in 2025 when the official grand opening is anticipated.
When it opens, the waterfront development will feature chef-driven restaurants, a market hall, artisan craft beers, live entertainment, and a membership off-leash dog park with owner/pet perks.
So far, leases have been signed to open a satellite location for Yamashiro, Mike Hess Brewing, Hopscotch, Poppy + Rose, Sugar Factory, Jay Bird’s Chicken, King & Queen Cantina, Pitfire Pizza, the Win-Dow, Olala Crepes, Marufuku Ramen, Bark Social, Mario’s Neighborhood Butcher Shop and Delicatessen, The Baked Bear and Harbor Breeze Cruises.
Planned for the southern end of the venue is an amphitheater in conjunction with the Nederlander Concerts L.A., one of the largest live theater operators and music venues in the nation. The amphitheater plans are currently undergoing an environmental review.
This summer’s temporary rotation of smaller, more local businesses, James said, will also help developers vet other lease candidate. And, it allows vendors to see how well the location might work for them on a more permanent basis.