Does this look like it costs $2.5 million? Photo: City of San Diego
San Diego added a strange new addition to its beachfront last month. In Mission Beach, a temporary lifeguard tower drew ire from citizens for its awkward-looking design and alleged high cost of installation.
Crews finished construction on the structure at the end of May. The two-story metal lifeguard station is an eye-catching structure, to say the least, resembling a standard lifeguard tower atop a massive metal frame. It’s also a temporary fix, intended to allow lifeguards to operate while the aging Mission Beach Lifeguard Station undergoes repairs.
As NBC reported, the Mission Beach lifeguard tower is one of the busiest stations in the city, and had become dilapidated and in need of repair. However, it wasn’t the intent of the project that raised eyebrows among the public, but the price tag. Initial reports claimed the cost of the tower would clock in at $4 million – a seemingly exorbitant price tag for what looked like a lifeguard tower welded to a metal platform
However, the Mayor’s office clarified that the number was somewhat misleading, as it was not all going towards just the tower. According to Inside San Diego, the temporary observation tower and a nearby trailer cost $2.5 million. Another $500,000 went toward design and permitting, while the rest of the four million went to structural assessments, crack monitoring of the existing lifeguard station, emergency shoring, stabilization work, utility connections, site preparation, room conversions, and other work needed to keep lifeguard operations functioning.
Though $2.5 million is certainly less than $4 million, the number still seemed high to many – and the mayor’s office was quick to defend the cost. “This is not a quick-and-easy- cosmetic project,” wrote the office in a release. “The facility had to be built on sand in a harsh coastal environment, which required additional engineering, foundation work, anchoring and utility connections to make sure it was safe, stable and functional for lifeguard operations.
“There was not a cheap, prefab structure the City could simply purchase and place on the beach either. It required site-specific design, engineering and permitting, including coordination with the California Coastal Commission, because the facility is being installed in the coastal zone and must meet safety, access and coastal requirements.”
