By Mark Edward Nero
The Port of Los Angeles on June 20 unveiled a new public centerpiece for its waterfront: Downtown Harbor and Town Square, located on Harbor Boulevard, between Fifth and Sixth Streets in San Pedro. The area, situated between the World Cruise Center and Ports O’ Call Village at the foot of the San Pedro Historic Waterfront District, Downtown Harbor is a new public harbor and plaza that connects the waterfront to downtown San Pedro.
The project, which took over two years to build, opens up 1.2 acres of existing waterfront between Fire Station 112 and the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. The space, which was previously a parking lot, has been transformed with a new harbor inlet for recreational vessels to dock for free for up to four hours. Surrounding the inlet is a public plaza and pedestrian promenade.
“The completion of Downtown Harbor is a major step forward as we continue to enhance the LA Waterfront experience for residents and visitors,” LA Harbor Commission President Vilma Martinez said.
Construction began in March 2012 at a total cost of $32 million. The water cut was designed by Tetra-IBI Group and AECOM, and the town square was designed by Moffatt & Nichol.
The town square also features a public plaza and open amphitheater for community events, including the upcoming Tall Ships Festival, scheduled to kick off Aug. 20.
