Ports O' Call Village

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. The "seaside village" encompassed 15 acres of shops, restaurants and attractions. A meandering promenade of cobblestone streets connected the specialty shops, which had an "improbable mix of New England, Spanish Colonial, and Asian themes," stood from 1963 to 2020.

History

Ports O' Call Village, branded as an "elaborately themed seaside entertainment venue", was conceived and built by David Tallichet in 1963, a World War II pilot-turned-restaurateur who also built the Castaway and 94th Aero Squadron. Tallichet sought to create a diverse blend of international destinations pieced together with cobblestone pathways, live musicians and global cuisine. The primary restaurant featured a Polynesian aesthetic, characterized by tall palm trees, a lagoon, and wooden foot bridges at the entrance. The restaurant later underwent expansion to incorporate an outdoor patio, some of which was constructed over the water. 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".

The complex had 71 retail units. 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. The site as served as a departure point for whale-watching boat tours. Attractions of the site in 1976 included "harbor cruises, helicopter rides, a puppet theater, sky tower, pirate ship, and unusual restaurants." 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". As of 1989 it attracted 1.1 million visitors annually. 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. By 2002, only half of the retail spaces were occupied with tenants.

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

Development

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 the San Pedro Public Market include restaurants, shopping, fresh markets, office space, and a waterfront promenade with outdoor space and an open-air amphitheater.

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. The development was named West Harbor in October 2020.

See also

* Marina del Rey Fisherman's Village
* San Diego Seaport Village

References

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Ports and harbors of California
San Pedro, Los Angeles
1963 establishments in California
2020 disestablishments in California
Shopping malls in Los Angeles County, California