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# SM PIER The party is just getting started
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/sm-pier-the-party-is-just-getting-started/
- Published: 2007-10-16T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T03:27:24.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Events, Pier, #archive-import

*Permission to party Santa Monica Pier receives grant it plans to use on celebration*

Thanks to a $100,000 “Preserve America” grant, the Pier Restoration Corporation is set to begin planning a yearlong celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the venerable Santa Monica Pier, which will take place on Sept. 9\. 2009.

The funding, which came courtesy of the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service, will be used to plan a calendar of events and educational programs under the theme “One hundred years in the past, one hundred years in the future,” which is expected to draw residents and visitors into the preservation efforts and celebration of one of California’s most treasured historic resources.

City officials will also be looking to further promote the pier as a heritage tourism destination and increase its economic viability with possible plays, parades, concerts, reenactments of historic happenings and the expansion of the pier’s walking historical tour and the opening of a small history museum on the pier.

“This is really exciting,” said Ben Franz- Knight, executive director of the Pier Restoration Corp. (PRC), which manages and maintains the landmark.“It is a recognition of our commitment to heritage tourism. The city of Santa Monica, many years ago, recognized that this is a great local resource that should be preserved, which is rare in LA, where not many things are allowed to age.

“Here, we are going to celebrate 100 years.”

The grant requires matching funds to be generated by the recipient, and plans are already underway to obtain these funds through sponsorship, donations and other fundraising sources.

The grant application was a joint effort of the City Hall’s Planning and Community Development Department, which administers the landmarks program; Housing and Economic Development Department, which oversees development of the pier; and the PRC.

In addition to events, PRC is looking to publish a history book on the pier, Franz- Knight said.

The PRC is looking for volunteers to give input on the celebration.

RISING FROM THE SEA When it first opened, the pier was nothing more than a place for folks to fish or take in the sunset. Then came Charles Looff, a pioneer amusement entrepreneur who had built Coney Island’s first carousel in Brooklyn and then opened a carousel factor nearby. Looff saw the potential of the pier and, after lengthy negotiations with City Hall, started construction of a pleasure palace alongside the municipal pier, according to the PRC’s Web site.

Looff’s pier featured the landmark Hippodrome building, which still houses a working carousel and will soon have an old-fashioned soda fountain in operation.

As arts and entertainment flourished in Santa Monica, so did the pier. In 1924, the vast and ornate La Monica Ballroom opened to become the site of some of the earliest national radio and television broadcasts. It also played host to throngs of dancers who came nightly to enjoy the big band sound, including “Western Swing,” according to the PRC.

The pier's popularity continued to soar through the 1930s, but severe storms, heavy use and changing tastes began to take their toll. The Blue Streak rollercoaster was torn down in 1930 and the La Monica Ballroom closed down some 33 years later.

While the municipal pier continued to be owned and operated by City Hall, the Looff Pleasure Pier had a succession of owners. In 1953, it was taken over by the city, which leased it to a private operator. Twenty years later, the City Council ordered the demolition of both deteriorating piers.

Outraged, residents fought back with a “Save Our Pier Forever” initiative. One of its objectives: Establish the pier as a Los Angeles County historical landmark.

In 1981, City Hall appointed the Pier Task Force — later named the PRC — to provide management and oversee restoration, including stripping the famed Hippodrome building back to its original framework and reconstructing it piece by piece.

Although two fierce storms halted work in 1983, washing away 100,000 square feet of the ocean end of the pier, things began looking up for the pier when the Hippodrome and its carousel were designated a National Historic Landmark In 1988, the Santa Monica Pier Development Program was adopted by the council. As part of the Development Program, a new concrete substructure was built, adding strength and stability to a pier that could now withstand violent storms. A variety of retail, food and entertainment outlets, as well as a police substation and a world class amusement park, were constructed on the pier to enhance the overall experience for a crowd that has since grown to roughly four million visitors a year.

Construction continues on the pier today, as City Hall moves forward with plans to build new restrooms and replace the deck. Divers were out Monday morning checking the pilings that hold up the pier to see what works better — wood or concrete, Franz- Knight said.

There are also plans to improve the pier access ramp, which is too narrow and getting too old to handle the large number of people who use it every day.

Franz-Knight said construction should be completed on the new restrooms by the time of the anniversary celebration, and he hopes that the pier access bridge construction will take place just after, so that visitors can enjoy the full beauty of the pier without being distracted by construction equipment.

A selection committee is expected tonight to make a recommendation to PRC and the council on which company should run the soda fountain.While Santa Monica is known for healthy, active lifestyles, Franz-Knight said he did not receive any bids from companies that specialize in organic ice cream.

“We did receive several proposals from those who were proud of the high butter fat content,” Franz-Knight said, “which is what many people feel is the key element to really good ice cream.”

After all, what would a birthday party be without ice cream?

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 16, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/101607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)