For New Year, Officials Plan New Hermosa Beach

Hermosa Beach, long considered a poor cousin to neighboring Manhattan Beach, is gearing up for a make-over that could upgrade the city’s image to that of a rich relative.

The long-awaited Downtown Improvement Project, scheduled to get underway Saturday, will give the city a new look before the summer crowds arrive, city officials said. When the renovation of lower Pier Avenue is complete, officials hope the city’s aging downtown will be transformed into a hip outdoor plaza.

The prospect of a new Hermosa Beach has been met with a mix of excitement and fear from some residents and business owners. Some worry about the “Manhattanization” of the town, a reference to Manhattan Beach, which underwent a renovation in the 1980s and has since attracted a number of trendy restaurants and upscale shops.

Others believe renovations are long overdue and that a face-lift is necessary if Hermosa Beach wants to be a key player in the competition for businesses among the beach cities.

“Manhattan Beach has turned into a Westwood by the ocean,” said Councilman Sam Edgerton. “Hermosa Beach is the quintessential beach community. The renovations will leap this town into the 21st century and, when we’re finished, Hermosa Beach will become a seaside jewel overnight.”

Funding for the $7-million project will come in part from parking revenues, a property owners’ assessment district and a lighting assessment district. Renovations to the pier will be paid for with Proposition A funds, seismic repairs will be paid for by Federal Emergency Management Agency funds and repairs to the lifeguard station will be funded by county money.

The first phase of the project, a $1.7-million revamp of lower Pier Avenue between Hermosa Avenue and Beach Drive, calls for:

* Expanding the width of sidewalks from 10 to 20 feet to allow restaurants to feature outdoor dining;

* Replacing the drab concrete of the sidewalks with blackish-gray concrete trimmed with light red granite;

* Adding stainless-steel benches, bike racks, information booths and kiosks;

* Planting canary palm trees, whose foliage is pineapple-shaped, to form a shady canopy, and installing street lights with nautical-looking lamps.

Once the improvements to lower Pier Avenue are complete, the city will build a multilevel 357-space parking structure and renovate its ailing pier, which will be given a seismic overhaul and a new look.

Other plans include renovations of Hermosa Avenue, a bustling street that runs parallel to the coast and intersects the business district, and upper Pier Avenue, which runs east to Pacific Coast Highway. A private developer plans to begin construction of an oceanfront resort hotel downtown later this year.

Optimistic city officials expect Hermosa Beach’s renovated downtown to be comparable with Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade or Old Pasadena--but with a seaside sensibility. Lower Pier Avenue, which offers the advantage of oceanfront access, is widely used for festivals and beach events and will be even more attractive to event organizers once the renovations are complete.

“Hermosa is kind of a sleepy oasis and it’s obvious that we need to make some physical improvements,” said Mayor Julie Oakes. “We want to keep the character of the community as much as possible so that it maintains it’s character, charm, funkiness and artistic bent. It’s going to create a wonderful backdrop for the city.”

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So far, the city’s revitalization effort has led to an increase in new businesses in the last two years. Retail businesses and restaurants are thriving after years of sluggish commerce. The completion of the project is expected to fuel an even bigger boom, city officials said.

Most of the 30 businesses on lower Pier Avenue will be open during the renovations, and a few have timed their own renovations to coincide with the city’s.

Business owners have expressed concern about losing revenue during construction because parking spaces will be temporarily eliminated and some stores will be less accessible.

The city has hired a public relations firm to promote downtown businesses during construction, which is scheduled to be completed May 2.

“It’s going to be deadly when the street is under construction,” said Dallas Yost, owner of Pacific Screenprint. “When it gets done it will certainly help business.”

While the parking structure is being built, the city will offer a free shuttle service from more-distant parking lots to the downtown area.

“We’re really excited about the new Hermosa Beach,” said Gary Wayland, of Vision Hermosa, an organization of business owners that did a study on how the area could be revamped. “We wanted to see downtown developed into a place that would be a great resource to the people who live here and the people who visit.”