In the coming months, the Davies Boat Launch Ramp will be demolished. But don’t be fooled, it’s simply being reborn.
The city announced on Monday that a massive multi-million dollar overhaul has begun on replacing the popular but aging access point along the Alamitos Bay Marina.
Approved in March, the $8.8 million project will replace the launch ramp, boat wash station and restrooms, repave the 179-space parking lot, and add several new amenities, including a new fish cleaning station and waste disposal center, trash enclosures, sand-oil separator and two new electric vehicle charging stations.
Crews will also reconstruct the entrance gate, parking kiosk, parking lights, and reconstruct the surrounding sidewalks, curbs and gutters.
It’s a much-needed overhaul of the facility at 6204 E Marina Dr. — just across the channel from Mother’s Beach. Its 22,000-square-foot launch, built in 1958, has served as the city’s most used boat ramp — about 35,000 launches a year — and has begun to show its wear. The ramp is beginning to rust; the concrete is cracked, and the restroom paint is peeling.
Anxious to tidy up the city’s amenities ahead of the 2028 Olympics, Long Beach elected officials see the ramp as a reflection of the city’s strong ties to aquatic sports.
“Long Beach’s waterfront belongs to everyone, and investments like this ensure our facilities remain accessible and ready to welcome all who utilize them,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “These upgrades strengthen a key regional access point to the water and help prepare our shoreline for the global attention and increased coastal use during the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Officials say they began eyeing state and federal grants to subsidize the renovations in 2016. Design and permitting began in spring 2019 and finished last summer, with a contract awarded to a builder earlier this year.
“The Davies Boat Launch is an important public resource for Long Beach residents and regional visitors coming to enjoy our coastline,” the area’s councilwoman, Kristina Duggan, said in a statement. “Improving this facility means protecting access to the waterfront for decades to come.”
Without a clear timeline, officials say that crews will demolish the site in the coming months. From there, construction should run through early 2027.
Boaters are being asked to use one of the four other launch ramps in the city.
For more information and updates on the project, visit here.