Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager

Newport Harbor’s newest and largest public dock is now open for recreational boaters.

On Friday, March 29 I had the pleasure of joining Newport Beach City Council members along with officials from the County of Orange, the Irvine Company and State Assembly to celebrate the Balboa Marina Public Pier grand opening.

The project is a partnership between the City, County and Irvine Company.

The new pier can accommodate up to 12 small vessels or several larger vessels. It is free for day use by the public for up to three hours. The pier greatly expands public access and recreational opportunities in a previously underserved area of the harbor.

The new pier was constructed and financed by the Irvine Company as part of an agreement with the California Coastal Commission that allows for expansion of an adjacent private marina. The City of Newport Beach will own, maintain and operate the pier. It is ADA compliant and includes the opportunity to use the “human lift” device already in use at Marina Park.

Part of the dock is located on tidelands property controlled by the County of Orange. The County Board of Supervisors granted the City long-term access in 2022 with a 45-year, no-cost lease.

Discussions of a public pier date back to 2011, when the Irvine Company initiated a new phase of its marina expansion project. A public-private partnership was formed, in which the City agreed to pay the entitlement costs and the Irvine Company agreed to construct the dock.

A 2013 study by the Commission identified this location as one of the harbor areas where a public pier was most needed. It was No. 2 after Central Avenue (where a new pier was built in 2016).

I encourage residents and visitors to use and enjoy this wonderful new addition to the harbor!

Source: Newport Beach Independent – newport-beach-city-manager-update-new-public-dock