New Wilmington Waterfront Promenade at POLA Grand Opening, Feb. 3

SAN PEDRO — The grand opening of the newly completed Wilmington Waterfront Promenade at the Port of Los Angeles is set for Feb. 3.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker, members of the Los Angeles Harbor Commission, port officials and community leaders will be on hand to celebrate the new $77.3 million “window to the waterfront” public park and recreation area, which will provide unprecedented access to the water’s edge for the Wilmington community.

“This project will be transformational for the Wilmington community,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “That’s due in large part to the input received from the community from the very start — including our local neighborhood councils and chambers of commerce — the hard work and dedication of so many elected leaders and port employees over the years.”

Following the grand opening festivities, the port will host its 10th Annual Lunar New Year Festival, the first event to be held along the promenade. Welcoming in the Year of the Dragon, the popular Lunar New Year festival will feature cultural attractions, dance, musical performances and food trucks offering culinary delights traditionally enjoyed during this annual Asian holiday. Open to the public, the event will culminate with fireworks at 6:45 p.m.

The new Wilmington Waterfront Promenade is adjacent to Banning’s Landing Community Center, at Berths 183-186. Measuring approximately 1,300 feet in length, the promenade features both a “picnic pier” over the water, a public floating dock, and waterfront seating and shading, among other amenities. Overlooking the promenade is an expansive new open space bluff, as well as another upland area with pedestrian and bicycle trails, both with seating and views of the waterfront.

The project is the second of three major Wilmington Waterfront, following the opening of Wilmington Waterfront Park in 2011. Later this year, the port will break ground on the Avalon Promenade Bridge and Gateway project, which will connect the south end of Wilmington’s main corridor directly to the LA Waterfront via a pedestrian bridge.

Time: 3 p.m., Feb. 3

Cost: Free

Venue: Wilmington Waterfront Promenade, 301 S. Avalon Blvd. in Wilmington