Why Renovate the Pier During Summer?

Beauty hurts sometimes. 

The city has been spiffing up part of the pier for the new George Freeth memorial statue, and businesses in the immediate vicinity are hurting. Regulars say that Charlie's Place and Starboard Attitude, the two businesses closest to the construction zone, have been affected. 

"Why would you do this project right now?" wondered Cindy Day, who said her friend's business has been suffering. In the accompanying video, Paul Galgano suggests that it would have been better to wait until after Labor Day when business tends to slow down anyway.     

Gwendolyn Parker, Redondo Beach's director of harbor business and transit, told Patch that the contrast between the new Freeth installation and surrounding area would have been too stark without the upgrades, expected to be completed by late September or early October.

The new statue will replace the original bronze one stolen from the pier in 2008. It will become part of what the city is calling George Freeth Plaza.

As disruptive as Redondo's pier beautification project has been for some, it pales in comparison to the work being done along Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach this summer. In recent weeks, the area has become an obstacle course for drivers and pedestrians alike. Patch found that businesses there are also feeling the pinch.  

Redondo pier businesses should brace themselves for more disruption ahead: The city considers the current work a pilot program for further revitalization of the pier.