Iconic Santa Monica landmark dismantled as major pier makeover gets under way

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Santa Monica’s most iconic sign came down Friday in a bid to restore it to its old glory, and the California Post was there to capture the dismantling.

The 20-foot blue neon arch, a fixture above the entrance of the Santa Monica Pier since 1941, will be hauled away and shipped to Las Vegas as Santa Monica embarks on a multimillion-dollar bridge overhaul.

The vintage sign could remain out of sight for nearly a year while crews replace the 87-year-old bridge beneath it. The sign will be restored by YESCO, an American manufacturer that also worked on the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, before returning to its perch atop the rebuilt bridge, according to the city.

“The sign is not being removed permanently or replaced,” the City of Santa Monica website reads. “It is being refurbished and its historic character will remain intact.”

“It will be returned — looking better than ever — to its rightful place at the top of the bridge when construction is complete, expected in late 2027.”

“Few sights are as instantly recognizable as the Santa Monica Pier sign, and generations of residents and visitors have memories tied to seeing it at the entrance to the Pier,” Mayor Caroline Torosis said in a statement.

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“This careful refurbishment will preserve the sign’s history while ensuring this beloved landmark can continue welcoming people to the Pier for decades to come. And in the meantime, the temporary sign will continue to offer visitors the opportunity to capture that quintessential Santa Monica Pier moment.”   

That temporary sign is a half-scale replica installed along the temporary walkway.

The whole remake is part of a $35.5 million bridge replacement project awarded to Shimmick Construction Company. 

The taxpayer-funded overhaul will replace the aging connection between the pier and city streets with a new bridge built to modern seismic standards, along with wider pedestrian sidewalks and redesigned walkways.

The new structure is expected to have a 70-year service life.

Photos captured workers taking the sign down on Friday, but in reality, it was a multi-day process.

Workers used a crane and temporary support structures to dismantle the Santa Monica Pier sign in sections. Preparation, equipment setup and removal of the sign’s neon tubing happened Tuesday.  

The sign’s upper crown was scheduled to be removed this past Wednesday, followed by the main portion of the sign Thursday.

 The sign will be wrapped and loaded onto transport vehicles, with transportation expected to begin Oct. 26. Once in Vegas, the restoration work will include repairing neon tubing, removing rust, repainting the sign and its supporting components and completing structural repairs, officials said.    

Removal work was scheduled from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with one lane of Ocean Avenue near the pier entrance closed during work hours.

The public was able to watch the removal from two designated viewing areas: the southern edge of Palisades Park and the northeast side of the pier entrance at Ocean Avenue and Colorado Avenue.    

The neon gateway dates back to June 17, 1941, when it was unveiled by the Santa Monica Pier Business Men’s Association. It was later declared a historic landmark by the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation in 1996.