WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.) sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young requesting additional funding to repair San Francisco’s “Muni Pier,” which has been crumbling for years and was permanently closed to the public due to safety concerns after an earthquake in October 2022.

The letter requests additional funding for Aquatic Park Pier, also known as “Municipal Pier,” for both the urgent needs following the structural damage sustained during the 2022 earthquake, and for the long-term planning, and budget process to once again enable public access. The letter also highlights that the pier serves as an important outdoor haven for San Francisco residents and visitors, as a key energy management system, and protects the coastline, businesses, and National Maritime Museum from storm surges and strong currents.

“We write to request that you include additional funding to repair and rebuild the National Park Service’s (NPS) Aquatic Park Pier, also known as ‘Municipal Pier,’ in San Francisco for the urgent and immediate needs following the structural damage sustained during the October 25, 2022 earthquake, as well as for the long-term, multi-year planning and budget process to re-imagine and re-build the pier so it can be reopened to the public,” the senators wrote.

“Originally built to create a protective cove for residents to swim and recreate, the pier has long served as an outdoor haven for visitors and local San Franciscans alike, providing valuable open space to safely gather, bike, swim, and run in the midst of a major urban area. The pier has also served as a key energy management system and barrier, protecting the San Francisco coastline, local businesses, and the National Maritime Museum – which holds the largest collection of National Historic Landmark ships in the United States – from storm surges and strong currents,” continued the lawmakers.

Prior to its October 2022 closure to the public, the pier served over 4.2 million visitors annually and was a beloved icon in San Francisco for swimmers, bikers, and runners. Last year, Senator Padilla submitted an appropriations request for $15 million from the National Park Service for the pre-development costs of what it would take to truly re-imagine the pier based on a community-led initiative to realize the pier’s full potential.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Haaland and Director Young:

We write to request that you include additional funding to repair and rebuild the National Park Service’s Aquatic Park Pier, also known as “Municipal Pier,” in San Francisco for the urgent and immediate needs following the structural damage sustained during the October 25, 2022 earthquake, as well as for the long-term, multi-year planning and budget process to re-imagine and re-build the pier so it can be reopened to the public.

Aquatic Park Pier opened in 1934 during the Great Depression as part of San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park. Originally built to create a protective cove for residents to swim and recreate, the pier has long served as an outdoor haven for visitors and local San Franciscans alike, providing valuable open space to safely gather, bike, swim, and run in the midst of a major urban area. The pier has also served as a key energy management system and barrier, protecting the San Francisco coastline, local businesses, and the National Maritime Museum – which holds the largest collection of National Historic Landmark ships in the United States – from storm surges and strong currents.

After years of battering from waves and significant deferred maintenance, Municipal Pier has fallen into disrepair. A 2021 National Park Service report identified the need for repairs to the walkway and noted moderate to severe damage to most of the support piles. After the 5.1 magnitude earthquake that shook the Bay Area this past October, the National Park Service was forced to close the pier indefinitely due to safety concerns.

It is our understanding that the National Park Service is presently focused on addressing the most urgent issues at Municipal Pier, like preventing additional objects from falling into the San Francisco Bay, protecting public safety, and ensuring compliance with environmental laws. We understand and appreciate the need to address these short-term needs. However, prior to its closure to the public, the pier served over 4.2 million visitors annually, and we cannot accept permanent public closure of this historic landmark. In order to re-open this beloved San Francisco landmark to the public, we strongly urge the National Park Service to swiftly begin the planning and budgeting process, and we request that the Administration ensure that sufficient funding is allocated to complete this longer term work.

The Aquatic Park Pier is a San Francisco treasure that desperately needs additional funding to continue serving Bay Area residents and visitors as it has for over 80 years. We thank you for your attention to our request, and we look forward to working with you to reopen Municipal Pier and support our nation’s historic outdoor spaces.

Sincerely,

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