King Harboris the centerpiece of Redondo Beach's waterfront — but most residents couldn't tell you who actually runs it, how it's funded, or why the lease negotiations keep making headlines. Here's a plain-English guide to how the harbor works, who controls what, and why it matters for the city's future.
The basics
King Harbor is a 150-acre man-made small craft harbor on the southern end of Santa Monica Bay. It was built in the early 1960s after the Army Corps of Engineers constructed a breakwater and the city dredged three marina basins. The harbor opened in 1966 and was named after Congressman Cecil R. King, who secured federal funding for the breakwater.
Today the harbor includes three marina basins with roughly 1,400 boat slips, a commercial fishing pier, the Redondo Beach Pier and its restaurants, Seaside Lagoon, Mermaid Bar and other waterfront businesses, and the International Boardwalk. It draws an estimated 5 to 6 million visitors per year, making it one of the most visited spots in the South Bay.
Who runs it
The city owns King Harbor. Unlike the Port of Los Angeles or Long Beach, which are run by independent harbor departments with their own governing boards, King Harbor is a city asset managed through the city's general government structure. Day-to-day operations fall under the city's Public Works and Community Services departments, depending on the function — dock maintenance, marina management, commercial lease oversight, and facility upkeep.
The Harbor, Coastal, and Environmental Commission is the advisory body that weighs in on harbor policy. It's one of Redondo Beach's seven city commissions — five members appointed by the City Council for four-year terms. They meet on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers (415 Diamond Street). The commission reviews harbor lease proposals, environmental issues, coastal access questions, and capital improvement plans. Their recommendations go to the City Council, which has final authority.
How it's funded
King Harbor operates as a self-supporting enterprise fundwithin the city budget — meaning it's supposed to pay for itself through the revenue it generates, not through general tax dollars. The main revenue sources are boat slip fees (paid monthly by roughly 1,400 slip holders), commercial lease payments from restaurants and businesses on the pier and boardwalk, parking revenue from the harbor lots, and Seaside Lagoon admission fees during its summer season.
In practice, the harbor has struggled to fully cover its infrastructure costs. The breakwater, built in the 1960s, requires ongoing repair — the Army Corps of Engineers handles major breakwater maintenance, but the city is responsible for everything inside the harbor. Dredging the basins, repairing docks, and maintaining seawalls all cost millions. The FY 2026-27 budget includes capital funding for harbor infrastructure, but deferred maintenance remains a recurring concern.
The lease situation
This is where it gets politically interesting. Most of the commercial businesses on the pier and waterfront operate on long-term ground leases with the city. Several of these leases are expiring or up for renegotiation in 2026 and 2027 — including leases held by Quality Seafood, some Fisherman's Wharf tenants, and other pier businesses.
Lease negotiations involve balancing several competing interests: the city wants to maximize revenue and maintain public access, tenants want lease terms that justify their capital investments, and residents want a waterfront that feels vibrant rather than neglected. The Harbor Commission reviews lease proposals and makes recommendations, but the City Council has the final vote.
The lease structure matters because it determines who pays for improvements. Under typical ground leases, the tenant is responsible for building and maintaining the structures on city-owned land. When leases expire, the question of what happens to those structures — and at what rent the tenant can stay — becomes a high-stakes negotiation.
Seaside Lagoon
Seaside Lagoon is the heated saltwater swimming lagoon inside King Harbor, operated by the city's Community Services Department. It runs seasonally (typically Memorial Day through mid-September) and has become a popular family destination and event venue. The city has used it for FIFA World Cup watch parties and community events. Admission fees and event rentals contribute to harbor revenue. A longer-term question is whether the lagoon will be expanded or redeveloped as part of broader waterfront planning.
What's ahead
King Harbor's near-term future revolves around three things. First, the breakwater repair project — the Army Corps has an authorized project to rehabilitate the harbor's aging breakwater, and the city needs to secure its local cost-share. Second, the commercial lease renegotiations will reshape what the pier and boardwalk look like for the next 20 to 30 years. Third, the broader connection to the AES power plantsite — the 51-acre parcel sits immediately adjacent to King Harbor, and whatever gets built there will fundamentally change the harbor's context, traffic patterns, and visitor profile.
For residents who want to weigh in, the Harbor Commissionis the entry point. Meetings are open to the public, agendas are posted on Legistar, and public comment is taken on every agenda item. The commission can't make binding decisions, but their recommendations carry real weight with the Council — especially on technical harbor questions where council members defer to the commission's expertise.