The Port of San Diego is inviting the public to attend an outreach meeting on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, to provide input on several proposed improvements planned for the Broadway Pier.

This project will provide improvements to the pier surface areas and possibly include upgrades to pavement, lighting, signage, furnishings, landscaping, utility screening and fencing. The Centre City Development Corporation, which is partnering with the Port District on improvements that will begin soon in the North Embarcadero area, is contributing up to $1 million for the Broadway Pier improvements.

The meeting will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Broadway View Room in the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, 1000 North Harbor Drive. The meeting room is located on the second floor.

The Pavilion is not heated, so those attending the meeting should bring or wear cold-weather clothing. Only vehicles with handicap placards will be able to park on Broadway Pier. Free parking for non-handicap vehicles is available at the B Street Pier approximately 500 feet to the north. Parking is also available in nearby metered spaces or in a paid parking lot at West Broadway and Pacific Highway.

A required component of the improvements is a security fence necessary for cruise operations and public safety requirements. A $200,000 grant from the Department of Homeland Security will cover the cost of the fencing.

The Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier provides public access and operates as both a cruise ship terminal and a special events center. The improvements will be designed to be compatible with the public access and cruise operations and they will provide a visual connection with the waterfront transformation that is taking place as part of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan.

The first phase of the North Embarcadero improvements includes a 105-foot wide esplanade with a waterfront pedestrian promenade, shade pavilions, gardens, restrooms, public art and a storm water filtration system. The first phase incorporates an area from the Navy Pier north to the B Street Pier, as well as a portion of West Broadway, from North Harbor Drive east to just beyond Pacific Highway. The cost of the first phase is approximately $28.6 million.

At Thursday’s public outreach meeting, Port District staff and representatives from Civitas, the consultant providing the design for the improvements, will describe guidelines and concepts for the planned improvements to the pier surfaces at Broadway Pier. They also will show examples of the types of improvements that might be provided, such as pavement enhancements, lighting, and shaded areas. Public input on ideas for planning these improvements will be accepted at the meeting.

Questions and comments may be sent to: BroadwayPierImprovements@portofsandiego.org.

The deadline is Jan. 6, 2012.