Des Moines Council funds Redondo pier, approves $100,000 for Marina Steps value engineering

Des Moines City Council voted Feb. 6 to fully fund the Redondo Fishing Pier using previously authorized bond proceeds and to hire KPFF for $100,000 to perform value‑engineering on the Marina Steps design.

The council’s action follows bids received in 2024 that exceeded original construction estimates: staff said the Redondo Pier previously came in substantially over the city’s construction assumption and the Marina Steps bid returned at about $11.7 million against an $8.1 million construction budget. City Manager Catherine Caffrey told the council, "the decision we're looking for tonight ... is really whether or not you want to move forward with a contract with KPFF engineers for $100,000 for the value engineering." Public Works Director Mike Sullivan described value engineering as a step to reduce specialty materials and optional amenities so the steps can be rebid with additive alternates.

The council approved the combined action in a 4–3 roll call. Yes votes recorded in the meeting were Deputy Mayor Steinmetz, Council Member Mahoney, Mayor Buxton and Council Member Nunning; Council Members Ochsiger, Grace Matsui and Harris voted no. Earlier in the meeting a motion to fund the Redondo Pier only failed for lack of a second.

Staff presented a financial picture that staff called conservative: the city sold a $25.1 million bond package in 2023 that covered several marina and waterfront projects. Project-level detail provided at the meeting included two grants totalling $1.5 million that are restricted to the Marina Steps and about $857,000 in real estate excise tax (REET) earmarked for the pier; staff said recent dock work came in under budget by about $1.6 million and that, across the approved project list, roughly $13 million of bond proceeds remained available to reallocate. After factoring earmarked grant and REET dollars, staff estimated a funding gap of roughly $3.7 million to fully deliver both the steps and the pier at current conservative cost estimates.

Mike Sullivan reviewed specific cost drivers. For the Redondo Pier the single largest cost driver was pile sizing and environmental permitting constraints: the earlier design used 12‑inch piles that required deep drives and concrete fill; the redesign approved last week moves to 18‑inch hollow steel piles and steel caps to reduce depth, concrete fill and heavy precast elements and thereby lower cost and crane requirements. Sullivan said the redesign could bring the pier’s construction cost to an estimated $5.5–$6.0 million and the project’s total package to about $7 million once contingency and construction management are included; however, he emphasized permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state agencies remain the critical path and could delay construction into next year if they are not resolved by early May.

On the steps, Sullivan said staff’s initial value‑engineering cuts could reduce the construction estimate from about $11.07 million toward a baseline somewhere near $10.1 million, with overall project cost (including contingency) near $12 million. He described options such as removing cantilevered outlooks, deleting the spray park or playground as separate additive alternates and delaying undergrounding of power on Cliff Avenue as ways to reduce up‑front cost while preserving future add‑backs.

Residents who spoke during an extended public comment period urged priority for repairing the existing pier and waterfront amenities. Kay Van (Redondo Beach) said, “The last 5 years, it's been an eyesore, and it no 1 can use it for the last, what, 4 years?” Multiple speakers said a repaired pier would restore access for fishers, improve waterfront appearance and encourage private investment.

Council discussion repeatedly returned to two constraints: (1) the permits and the seasonal in‑water construction “fish window” that limits when pier work may be done, and (2) construction inflation that increases the cost of delayed projects. Staff told the council that delaying both projects together risks losing the pier’s 2025 in‑water window and that rebidding under a value‑engineered steps design would provide council with clearer, priced choices before committing to final construction awards.

Ending: The council’s vote funds the pier and directs the city manager to proceed with the KPFF value‑engineering task order. Staff will return with amended design documents, permit updates and bid documents; if permits are not in hand by early May, staff warned, the pier likely cannot be constructed this season and costs may change. The council left further reallocation decisions and any ordinance amendments to later agenda items.