Huntington Beach Pier Re-Build Campaign 1991 -1992

Huntington Beach--

JANUARY 1991--$1 million Pledges and gifts to the Landmark Campaign have reached $1 million as com- munity volunteers and donors push to meet their $2.85 million private sector goal by the end of this summer. A lead gift of $250,000 to the Landmark Campaign was provided by Robert L. Mayer and Steve Bone of the Robert L. Mayer Corporation.

"We believe in giving back to the communities in which we do business," said Bone, who is a vice president for The Mayer Corporation. "We knew that construction was going to begin, but that full funding was not going to be possible without support from the private sector. We hope our pledge will challenge both business leaders and citizens to get involved."

This challenge was met with three additional $100,000 Leadership Gifts by Roger Work, campaign co-chair and general manager of the Huntington Beach Company; Jon Coulbup, president of Coultrup Development; and the P.I.E.R. Group, a grass roots organization of local citizens concerned with expediting pier reconstruction.

Those with gifts or pledges of $25,000 and above made before March 31,1991, were permanently recognized on the new pier as "Points of Light" (note: Points of Light never came to fruition.) Each will have a lightpost on the new pier permanently designated in their honor with a specially- inscribed brass plaque. This artist's rendering depicts the new look for the Huntington Beach Pier. The effort was designed to rebuild Orange County's beachfront landmark.

The old pier began as a dream for the citizens of Huntington Beach in 1914. 76 years later, it is time for the citizens to dream again and build a new pier.  The cost of the new pier's reconstruction is estimated at $11.7 million. The city is committed to raising nearly $9 million from public resources and the remaining $2.85 million is being raised by the private sector.

Demolition and construction is on schedule for completion in the spring of 1992. As part of the anniversary celebration, the opening festivities for the new pier will feature entertainment from Anjo, Japan, Huntington Beach's sister city.

A grass roots organization was formed in 1988 after a severe winter storm damaged the pier and destroyed The End cafe, a restaurant located at the end of the municipal pier. Tom Bagshaw, who managed the restaurant which fell into disrepair and his group have led the grass roots effort to rebuild the pier. The volunteers are all long-time Huntington Beach residents who have strong emotional ties to the pier.

"They all would like to see the pier re-opened as as soon as possible," said End Cafe, (the late) John Gustafson, who lost $300,000 because of the storm," and has donated $40,000 toward the rebuilding of the municipal pier. The new pier is expected to be the centerpiece of the city's downtown redevelopment efforts. As a focal point for the new waterfront area, the rebuilt Huntington Beach Pier will enhance the local economy with increased tourism revenues and retail sales, increased real estate values.

"Pier-a-pher-na-lia" such as calendars, T-shirts, pier photos, etc., were sold at the Huntington Beach City Hall and near the former pier site.