Lot 3 Demolition Opens Up The Big Parking Shuffle
Oct 22, 2024 09:41PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
The sun sets on Lot 3 in downtown Manhattan Beach.
Dude, where's my parking space? As the demolition of Parking Lot 3 in downtown Manhattan Beach begins this week, a big parking shuffle is underway.
You're going to see parking in strange new places; and a lack of parking in surprising places. There will also be new parking patterns when the Manhattan Beach Farmers' Market relocates to the Civic Center Plaza on Tuesdays, beginning on October 29.
The source of all of this upheaval can be traced back to when City Parking Lot 3, located on
Morningside Drive between 12th and Center Place, was declared structurally unsound in July.
(Did we park here as recently as three months ago? Emergency reinforcements now support cantilevered portions of Lot 3 after it was deemed unsafe.)
The closure of the nondescriptly named Lot 3, and the loss of its 139 metered parking spaces, caused parking havoc during the busy summer months, leading city leaders to deem the situation an "emergency" for the downtown and its businesses.
Furthermore, the demolition of Lot 3 is expected to be complex, given the large amount of concrete that needs to be taken down and hauled away in a densely packed pedestrian and business area. That project requires a safe space for demolition and a wide enough route for hauling large amounts of debris.
City staffers since been scrambling to identify and create parking spaces to meet the needs of downtown businesses and visitors while the Lot 3 demolition gets underway.
“As we commence this important project, we reaffirm our commitment to safety and enhancing the downtown experience for both residents and visitors,” said Manhattan Beach Mayor Amy Howorth in a statement. “The actions the city is taking lay the groundwork for a more accessible and vibrant Manhattan Beach. We want our community to know that we are here for you every step of the way, and we appreciate your patience as we work to improve our infrastructure.”
The Big Lot 3 Takedown
The demolition of Lot 3 will begin this week, with a work schedule of 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, including Veterans Day. The city has currently closed (temporarily) a portion of 12th Street between Morningside Drive and the western end of the lot.
Center Place, a crucial alley behind businesses on the north side of Manhattan Beach Blvd., will also be closed entirely to pedestrians for about 3 days at the outset of the project. After that, a safe, covered pedestrian access "tunnel" with lighting will be constructed to allow workers and patrons of businesses to enter from the alley. The city is helping with signage for at least one business, Right Tribe, whose sole access is via Center Place. Even after the "tunnel" opens, expect Center Place to be closed from 6:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. most days.
Soon, robots with concrete saws will take over on about half the site, which the contractor said will cut the sound way down. The robotic work planned for the south side was described as a "slower, safer" method to proceed with the demo nearer to businesses, "more like surgery."
Heavier equipment will still be used on the 12th Street side, and as the building is reduced, trucks will be able to move in and out of the site more easily from the 12th Street side.
In a meeting with downtown businesses last week, the project contractor, American Wrecking, described how the initial phases of the demolition, involving hydraulic hammers and other large, heavy equipment, will be quite loud. The top layer and a cantilevered portion of the 3-story lot that runs along Center Place will be first priorities for removal.
Soon, robots with concrete saws will take over on about half the site, which the contractor said will cut the sound way down. The robotic work planned for the south side was described as a "slower, safer" method to proceed with the demo nearer to businesses, "more like surgery."
Heavier equipment will still be used on the 12th Street side, and as the building is reduced, trucks will be able to move in and out of the site more easily from the 12th Street side.
The demolition is anticipated to take approximately 40 working days, after which the city will install an at-grade parking lot. At last week's meeting, city officials expressed the hope that the demolition and cleanup will be completed around the time of Thanksgiving, and before the annual Holiday Fireworks show (December 8 this year). The project most likely will still be going on during the downtown Holiday Open House (November 20).
Fascinating note: The city approved the demolition contract with American Wrecking, Inc. for $190,000. Why was that bid SO much lower than other bids, including a $1.85 million bid offered by a competing contractor? According to a city engineer, American Wrecking, Inc. owns its own equipment and has apparently found a worksite that needs recycled concrete, so the concrete will go from Lot 3, get crushed, and then go to another construction site to be reused. Reduce, reuse, recycle - we love it!
Replacement Lot To Be Built in Early 2025
The Lot 3 site will be unused for a period of weeks, perhaps a few months, before a replacement at-grade parking lot can be built, with city staff saying that new construction work will begin no sooner than January.
The new lot, which will contain about 70 spots (paid via kiosk), must be designed and permitted first. That project that is being handled in-house by city staff for efficiency's sake, but still has complexities – including the need to account for lighting, drainage and other issues.
While the at-grade lot is referred to as "temporary," city officials conceded last week that it is likely to be in place for several years, while optimal uses of the former Lot 3 site are debated and planned out.
(THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL PLAN FOR THE LOT 3 SITE. It's a concept that our MB News graphics team generated with AI. But still, it's not too shabby, right?)Where Do We Park Now?
The City Council has authorized the creation of 90 new public parking spaces within downtown. Some have been created; some are yet to come. You'll notice, for example, a new line of parking in the Greenbelt parking lot across from the Vons (at the exercise station).
(A new line of parking meters in the Greenbelt lot across from the Vons added seven new spaces.)But other planned parking additions have yet to take place. For example, the city has proposed re-striping parking spaces along Valley Drive between 18th St. and 20th Pl. from diagonal to vertical, adding 21 new parking spaces. That re-striping has not yet occurred.
(Proposed new parking spaces. Image via city of Manhattan Beach.)Farmers Market Relocation
Following approval by the city, the Manhattan Beach Farmers Market to will be moving to the Civic Center Upper Parking Lot and Plaza at 320 15th Street beginning on Tuesday, October 29.
Vendors will be centered around the upper City Council parking lot, with additional vendors in the plaza.
The farmers' market will take up all of the spaces in the (upper) City Hall parking lot on Tuesdays. However, parking spaces on the east end of 13th Street, where the farmers' market is usually held, will be open.
Weigh In on Parking
All of that information is a lot to process. Do you have thoughts you want to share with the city on parking? Here's your chance to weigh in with these parking surveys:
Lot 3 Before Demo [2 Images]
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