$8 Million Pier Replacement Project Tops Santa Monica City Council Consent Calendar

January 22, 2013 -- The City Council is expected to vote Tuesday to enter into an $8.2 million contract to replace a 12,960-square-foot section of the Santa Monica Pier which studies show has begun to deteriorate as a result of exposure to the elements.

The section of the Pier that needs replacing stretches west from the high-tide line on the beach to the concrete section of the Pier constructed in the 1980s.

“Constructed in the 1920s, this section of the Pier consists of timber construction and is nearing the end of its useful life,” staff wrote. “Structural analysis has shown that this section of the Pier has a limited capacity to support emergency and commercial delivery vehicles.”

The section would be “replaced with a new pier consisting of concrete piles, concrete pile caps, timber stringers, and timber decking,” staff wrote. The new materials would require less maintenance and would be more durable than the antique wood that currently supports this section.

The proposed project is the fourth phase in the Santa Monica Municipal Pier Replacement Project. The first three phases were completed between 2004 and 2007 and included the “replacement or repair of piles, stringers and deck boards on the Pier,” according to staff.

The $8.2 million contract would go to California-based Meek Shea, Joint Venture, which has worked with the U.S. National Parks Service, the Port of San Diego, the United States Navy and the Ventura Harbor Department.

“It is notable that John S. Meek Company, Inc., the main partner in the joint venture, completed the Phase 3 structural upgrade project for the Santa Monica Pier,” staff said. Phase 3 “was similar in scope, schedule, and location and required similar coordination with neighboring businesses.”

In bidding for the project, Meek Shea suggested changes to the City's specifications that would shave nearly $300,000 off construction costs, including reusing the handrails and utility pipes.

These suggestions “would not compromise (the) quality” of the finished Pier, staff said.

Staff anticipates that, if Council approves the contract, construction would start sometime in March and is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of 2014.

The contract would include a provision that, if construction goes longer than a year, the contractor will be penalized and will have to assume additional construction costs.