Historic Ventura Pier set to reopen after repairs to winter storm damage

VENTURA, Calif. (KABC) -- After storm damage forced it to close a year-and-a-half ago, the historic Ventura Pier is set to reopen this weekend.

The pier was originally set to reopen in March but more storm damage pushed back the schedule.

The pier, first built in 1872, suffered damage from several winters of heavy storms, including 37 missing or broken timber piles.

The beloved landmark - at one point in its history the longest wooden pier in California - had been closed since January 2023.

"I was out here watching the surf just stripping away pieces of the pier," said Ventura city manager Bill Ayub. "There was a real concern that as the pier lost more of its structure, it became weaker and weaker and weaker, that we could lose it entirely."

More than $3.5 million was spent on repairing the pier.

"The decking had to be taken out and you had to cut holes in it to get to the cabling and bracing," said Ventura Mayor Joe Schroeder. "It's really an unbelievable construction job."

The city of Ventura expects 93% of the repair costs to be reimbursed by FEMA and the state.

They also recently got a $40,000 donation from the local nonprofit Pier Into The Future.

"Children come here to laugh, adults come here and stroll around and legend has it you're supposed to get your first kiss at the pier in Ventura," Schroeder said. "So it means everything to us."

The pier officially opens to the public Saturday at 8:30 a.m.