A waterfront park nearly 15 years in the making is on track to break ground later this year, the Port of Los Angeles has announced.

The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners recently voted to award a nearly $52-million construction contract for the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade, which would convert a vacant industrial property at Avalon Boulevard and Water Street into a nine-acre public green space.

The project, designed by Sasaki Associates, is described as a "window on the waterfront."  Plans call for realigning Water Street to allow for the construction of park space adjacent to the Banning's Landing Community Center.  In addition to a waterfront promenade, the project would include a public pier and dock, restrooms, a playground, and parking.

Sully-Miller Contracting Co., the firm selected to build the project, is expected to complete construction in 2023.

The waterfront promenade will be connected via a pedestrian bridge over the adjacent railroad tracks to a second park currently under development at Avalon and Harry Bridges Boulevard.  The four-acre Avalon Promenade and Gateway, which is also slated to break ground in Fall 2020, replaces a petroleum storage facility.

Work on Wilmington parks are occurring simultaneously with similar waterfront projects in the neighboring San Pedro community, where a $33-million promenade broke ground in January, and the $150-million San Pedro Public Market development is scheduled to begin construction in 2021.