Wikipedia

Ports O' Call Village

For the new development on this site, see West Harbor.

Ports O' Call Village, located along the Port of Los Angeles main channel in San Pedro, was an outdoor shopping center that featured souvenir and gift shops, along with restaurants, sweetshops, fish markets, and quick-bite eateries.[2] The "seaside village" encompassed 15 acres of shops, restaurants and attractions. A meandering promenade of cobblestone streets connected the specialty shops,[3] which had an "improbable mix of New England, Spanish Colonial, and Asian themes," stood from 1963 to 2020.[4]

Ports O' Call Village
Sierra Nevada anchored at Ports O' Call Village c. 1970
Map
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Location
CountryUnited States
LocationSan Pedro, Los Angeles
Coordinates33°43′57″N 118°16′37″W / 33.73263°N 118.27683999999999°W / 33.73263; -118.27683999999999[1]
Details
Opened1963
Closed2020
Size of harbour15 acres (6.1 ha)
Land area15 acres (6.1 ha)
Statistics
Website
Ports O' Call

History

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Ports O' Call Village, branded as an "elaborately themed seaside entertainment venue", was conceived and built by David Tallichet in 1963,[5] a World War II pilot-turned-restaurateur who also built the Castaway and 94th Aero Squadron. Tallichet saught to create a diverse blend of international destinations pieced together with cobblestone pathways, live musicians and global cuisine.[6] The main restaurant had a Polynesian theme, with "tall palm trees, a lagoon, and wooden foot bridges adorning the entrance." The restaurant later expanded to include an outdoor patio, parts of it built over the water.[7] One guide to landmarks of Southern California criticized the architectural style of the development, stating "I suppose I must include this, though a replica of a New England whaling village is not exactly my idea of a good representation of the rich California sea-faring traditions the designers could have used".[8]

The complex had 71 retail units.[9] A transit terminal for both RTD and Long Beach Public Transit buses opened in 1975 near the Sky Tower at the entrance of Ports O' Call.[10] The site as served as a departure point for whale-watching boat tours.[11] Attractions of the site in 1976 included "harbor cruises, helicopter rides, a puppet theater, sky tower, pirate ship, and unusual restaurants."[12] Annual events held at Ports O' Call included "LA Woody car show in May, The Taste in San Pedro in August, and Lobster Fest in October".[13] As of 1989 it attracted 1.1 million visitors annually.[14] A man named Charles Ashbourne worked making balloon animals for children in the Cutlas Square section of Ports O' Call from 1963 to at least 1995.[15] By 2002, only half of the retail spaces were occupied with tenants.[9]

While it ran, the Waterfront Red Car stopped at Ports O' Call.[16] By 2012 the complex was described as "ailing" and markets like Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles were eclipsing it in buzz.[17] Parts of Ports O' Call were demolished in 2018.[7]

Development

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In 2013, the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners called for the redevelopment of the entire 30-acre waterfront site in the Port of Los Angeles that includes Ports O' Call Village. After a series of public meetings and extensive community input, in 2015, the Port of Los Angeles released its Public Access Investment Plan intended to create a sustainable and predictable approach to the Port's yearly investment in non-cargo related, public-serving projects and programs.

In March 2016, the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners approved a 50-year lease for the new San Pedro Public Market on the site. Plans for San Pedro Public Market include restaurants, shopping, fresh markets, office space and a waterfront promenade with outdoor space and an open-air amphitheater.[18][19]

In January 2020, a public spokesperson at the Port of Los Angeles said it would be a couple more years until this development was open to the public.[20] The development was named West Harbor in October 2020.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Geody - Ports O' Call Village - 33.73263 -118.27684, archived from the original on March 6, 2016, retrieved May 7, 2015
  2. ^ "Ports O' Call Village". LA - The Port of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  3. ^ "Ports O' Call Village". SanPedro.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  4. ^ Vincent, Roger (November 22, 2020). "San Pedro's Ports O' Call was torn down. A new waterfront is finally taking shape". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  5. ^ "The Fresno Bee The Republican from Fresno, California". newspaper.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  6. ^ "Ports O' Call Village - Dead or Alive?". lamag.com. July 24, 2012. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Littlejohn, Donna (November 23, 2018). "The final cut: San Pedro's iconic Ports O' Call Restaurant comes down". Daily Breeze. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  8. ^ Atkinson, Janet I. (1988). Los Angeles County Historical Directory. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-89950-301-1. OCLC 18106218.
  9. ^ a b Butler, Anica (February 18, 2002). "Red Cars Are Back on Track". The Los Angeles Times. p. 13. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  10. ^ "Joint bus terminal will open". News-Pilot. September 8, 1975. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  11. ^ "On the go". News-Pilot. February 23, 1974. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  12. ^ "Article clipped from News-Pilot". News-Pilot. December 24, 1976. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  13. ^ "Ports O' Call Village". SanPedro.com - San Pedro, California. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  14. ^ "With Its Traditional Industries in Decline, San Pedro Chases the Tourist Dollar". The Los Angeles Times. August 6, 1989. p. 32. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  15. ^ "Clown". News-Pilot. April 25, 1995. p. 10. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  16. ^ "San Pedro Waterfront's New Look". The Los Angeles Times. July 1, 2012. p. 29. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  17. ^ "San Pedro Waterfront's New Look". The Los Angeles Times. July 1, 2012. p. 29. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  18. ^ "PUBLIC ACCESS INVESTMENT PLAN" (PDF). PortofLosAngeles.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  19. ^ Littlejohn, Donna (March 26, 2019). "San Pedro's waterfront development gets a $30 million investment partner". Daily Breeze. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  20. ^ Littlejohn, Donna (October 5, 2019). "San Pedro waterfront plans advance; groundbreaking set for spring 2020". Daily Breeze. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  21. ^ "San Pedro Public Market Rebrands as 'West Harbor'". NBC Los Angeles. October 7, 2020. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
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