A major part of San Pedro’s planned West Harbor project has gotten the thumbs-up for development.
The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners advanced the construction of a 6,200-seat amphitheater and 175-foot ferris wheel at the 42-acre site, L.A. Business First and Urbanize Los Angeles reported. The board approved the development’s Final Subsequent Environmental Impact report as part of California Environmental Quality Act compliance proceedings.
A 50,000-square-foot lawn would provide seating, while a 22,000-square-foot space would be set aside for concessions and restrooms. Nederlander called the endeavor a “transformative project that will bring world-class live entertainment to the Los Angeles waterfront,” Nederland’s Rena Wasserman, a senior vice president, said in a statement to Urbanize.
Opening of the amphitheater is penciled for mid-2026 with the goal of hosting concerts, cultural programming, events and performances at the port’s L.A. Waterfront. The ferris wheel is slated for opening in spring 2027.
National venue operator Nederlander Concerts, manager of Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, is helping develop the amphitheater. Jerico Development and The Ratkovich Company are developing the West Harbor project in partnership with the city and the Port of Los Angeles. The project, which broke ground in 2022, abuts the main channel of the port.
In addition to the amphitheater and ferris wheel, the planned West Harbor project will include pickleball courts, restaurants, shops and commercial vessel docks as well as a mile-long landscaped pedestrian walkway to be known as the San Pedro Waterfront Promenade.
More than 20 tenants have already signed on to set up shop at the to-be-built development. Hollywood restaurant Yamashiro will open its first satellite location at West Harbor; other forthcoming food and beverage options include Mike Hess Brewing and King and Queen Cantina. Experiential art gallery Hopscotch is also expected to move in.
Locals won’t have to wait until next year to start experiencing West Harbor. The San Pedro Fish Market is now open at the development as is Harbor Breeze Cruises and the Los Angeles Maritime Institute.
In February, the development team received $61.5 million in refinancing from Oceanview Life and Annuity Company, an affiliate of Bayview Asset Management, for the completion and stabilization of West Harbor. Phase one of the development is complete and set to open in the middle of next year.
At the same time, another amphitheater, the 12,000-seat Long Beach Bowl, is slated for construction in Long Beach next to the Queen Mary and Harry Bridges Memorial Park at the mouth of the Los Angeles River. The venue is expected to open next spring, per The Long Beach Post.