Hit that drum roll, San Pedro.
A packed room cheered and applauded as the Los Angeles harbor commission on Thursday, June 26, unanimously approved plans for a 6,200-seat outdoor waterfront amphitheater, which is expected to draw top-tier musical acts from throughout the L.A. area.
The amphitheater represents yet another addition to the port town’s new West Harbor development, which will provide a fresh-generation vibe on top of San Pedro’s authentic, multi-ethnic working class roots.
It all brought Dan Salas, the founder and operator of Harbor Breeze Cruises, which operates out of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, almost to tears.
“I was born in Wilmington,” Salas said in public remarks Thursday, adding he went to work at age 12 on Berth 79. “I’m here full of gratitude.”
Salas was one of the first to sign a lease for the new, still-under-development waterfront with a hybrid electric harbor cruise boat.
“We’ve done this! We’re going to do this,” Salas said. “We’re going to put this (waterfront) on the map!”
Others said the concert venue will provide jobs and music opportunities for a new generation whose parents and grandparents had their Ports O’ Call in the 1960s.
“I’m 22 years old, a musician, and I love hearing the stories about the old Utro’s, Walkers,” said Rudy Rios, referring to longtime restaurants and hangouts that have since closed. “But there’s not that much for my age as we come into adulthood. This amphitheater and the whole West Harbor development is going to be amazing for the youth and generations to come.”