Food-meets-culture West Harbor San Pedro project takes step forward with completion of first building

While this year’s arrival quickly wiped away the hopes of opening in late 2023—it has now been pushed to 2026—the West Harbor San Pedro developers have taken a tangible step forward. And that is with the completion of the development’s first building, dubbed Building 1A. It marked a hard-hat invitation for investors and guests to tour the new space, according to the Daily Breeze. 

What’s Building 1A at West Harbor San Pedro?

Building 1A is the first of multiple structures completed for the West Harbor San Pedro project, a 42-acre development previously dubbed the San Pedro Public Market. It is taking over the space formerly the beloved Ports O’ Call.

While tenants—listed below—still need to build out the space to their specifications, the completion of Building 1A was encouraging enough that some 80 participants, including local Realtor Lee Williams, explored the space.

“I didn’t hear any negative opinions, which was pretty amazing,” Williams told the Daily Breeze.

This is particularly refreshing to hear. After plans were revealed in March 2016 for the then-$100M renovation of the San Pedro’s famed, 30-acre waterfront area known as Ports O’ Call, not many were impressed. This included a large portion of Long Beach fisherman and sailors who bounce back and forth between Ports O’ Call and Long Beach.

The history behind the massive developmental endeavor in San Pedro

The initial proposals were marked by theme park-saturated colors and nods to the berths of the 1950s and 60s. And they were eventually replaced by renderings below that offer a more warehouse, earth-tone-centric aesthetic.

Those then-new plans were unveiled in 2021 by the Ratkovich Company and Jerico Development, the partnership that formed the LA Waterfront Alliance overseeing the project. This was while the Ports O’ Call area was undergoing demolition to make way for the project. Shown at the Warner Theatre in San Pedro, the designs drew both applause and raised eyebrows. (Those designs included Rapt Studio as its design architect. And James Corner Field Operations, the landscape architect firm working on the master planning for the project. And lastly, Adamson & Assoc. serving as Executive Architect.)

The unveiling revealed stark contrasts to initial proposals, entirely eschewing homage to the area’s nautical past. Instead, it aimed for a glass-and-metal look with large, steel A-frames encasing massive expanses of retail and restaurant space.

The third batch of renderings—set at the current price tag of $150M—was a mixture of designer. One one hand, the hyper-contemporary iteration. And on the other, a return to a more rustic look. Corrugated metals, earth tones, and large logos paired with an expanded patio section. More outdoor dining space and container kitchens. And play areas to accommodate visitors with children and dogs.

What’s to be built for West Harbor San Pedro

The fourth (and final?) set of renderings mute the rust colors while stripping down the warehouse look. In their stead, a contemporariness to their structures with wood and metal beams, glass, and whites.

“By making port space public space for everyone, from joggers to boaters to cyclists to walkers, we’re connecting San Pedrans, Angelenos, and out-of-towners ready to celebrate small businesses, local restaurants, and community,” stated the project team at Jerico.

Other highlights of the project include:

• Fisherman’s Park, a 3-acre pedestrian promenade that includes trails, bicycle paths, water features and more.
• Some 600 feet of continuous courtesy boat slips, bike and scooter paths, along with pedestrian and jogging paths providing direct waterfront access along the Market Walk.
• The possible moving of the USS Iowa from its northern docking slip and into the market space, acting as a direct attraction while also freeing up its former space to attract another cruise line.
• The possible incorporation of the famed Red Trolley, depending on the initial economic performance of the market.

Yes, there could be a Hollywood Bowl-style amphitheater coming to the project

Revealed in an environmental report published by the Port of Los Angeles, the proposed amphitheater is one of the project’s most bold (and unique) aspects. And it’s also least likely to come to fruition any time soon. While it was initially proposed when the project was announced over eight years ago, it is unclear if the Nederlander is still to operate it. The amphitheater would sit on a two-and-a-half-acre site where the main channel meets with what is called the Fisherman’s Slip. 

A 40-foot-tall, nearly 10,000-sf bandshell will sit before a sloping 23,000-sf lawn and a 28,000-sf terraced seating area. 

Some of the region’s most known and loved food brands are coming to West Harbor San Pedro

The announcement follows an impressive release of food tenants joining the project upon opening, including:

• Yamashiro, Hollywood’s famed mountain palace that has attracted tens of thousands of patrons yearly since it opened in the early 1960s.
• Mike Hess Brewing, the San Diego-based brewing giant whose local popularity has kept it alive and expanding.
• DTLA brunch- and fried chicken-favorite Poppy + Rose will expand into the nighttime with its West Harbor location—only its second, which is shocking considering its popularity—which includes a 2,000-square-foot patio that will allow its dedicated brunch crowds to overlook water, bikes, and ships.
• Popular Long Beach Exchange-based Jay Bird’s will open its fourth Nashville hot chicken location.
• Sugar Factory American Brasserie, the over-the-top worldwide brand which prides itself on serving rainbow pancakes you can top with gummy bears, sprinkles, whipped cream, and other assortments of, well, sugar.

West Harbor is to hopefully open 2026.