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Commercial core construction starts in Dana Point Harbor’s $600 million renovation

March 18, 2026

A nearly 33-foot-tall flagpole made of wood salvaged from the Ocean Institute’s tall ship Pilgrim was the centerpiece of a ceremony marking the beginning of construction on the Dana Point Harbor’s commercial core.

“This is a very exciting milestone for all of us,” said Bryon Ward of Burnham-Ward Properties, who is heading up the landside rebuild of the $600 million harbor renovation, a public-private partnership between the County of Orange and Dana Point Harbor Partners.

Bryon Ward of Burnham-Ward Properties speaks during a ceremony signaling the start of phase 3 construction in Dana Point Harbor in Dana Point, CA on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The developer is overseeing the landside construction in the harbor. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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The other partners are Joe Ueberroth, of Bellwether Financial Group, who has already completed two-thirds of the new 2,265-slip marina, and Bob Olson, of R.D. Olson, who now has all the entitlements needed to build two new hotels.

The flagpole — which taps into Dana Point’s maritime history with its nod to The Pilgrim, a replica of the ship immortalized by Richard Henry Dana in his classic “Two Years Before the Mast” — stands at the entrance of Harbor Way and will welcome future visitors to the renovated harbor, expected to become even more of a destination in Orange County at the project’s completion.

The overhaul is scheduled for completion by the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Ward on Tuesday announced the start of the third phase of the five-phase renovation. Seven buildings will replace the originals built in 1971 when the harbor opened. Demolition began about three weeks ago and is expected to be completed in a few weeks.

The Pilgrim was used for decades by the Ocean Institute to teach local school children about maritime history before sinking while in her harbor berth in 2020. “Through those memories, she became a very important part of Dana Point, and we wanted to pay homage to her,” Ward said of the pieces of the ship that are being incorporated in the project.

Dana Point Mayor John Gabbard applauded the partners for making sure Dana Point’s maritime roots were woven into the renovation, a long-held vision that finally became reality in 2018 when the county inked a 66-year lease with the partners.

“The harbor, even before the jetty, restaurants and docks, was a safe cove from the unforgiving ocean,” Gabbard said. “The conversion of the Pilgrim’s mast into the entry monument’s flagpole celebrates our maritime past and present. It’s a beautiful connection of our past and our future.”

The new buildings, where site work will begin almost immediately with the arduous task of elevating the foundation by 3.5 feet in anticipation of sea-level rise, will span 100,000 square feet. The work area extends from where the old Marina Inn hotel sits along the water to Dana Wharf.

The commercial spaces will have a mix of restaurants and retail, Ward said, adding that some of the new businesses’ names will be announced over the next few months as leases are negotiated. The tenants are expected to be a mix of old and new.

The waterfront buildings will be surrounded by large green spaces and walkways. Ward describes the architecture as coastal vintage, with the look of old warehouses with lots of glass and light – still with a bit of a modern edge.

Buildings will vary in size and be spaced apart to promote views of the waterfront and the boardwalk, he said; gathering areas will become venues for concerts and other special events.

There will also be rooftop bars and a larger building, The Boathouse, which will be a place to get grab-and-go food and drinks.

The Boathouse will also feature a custom mural detailing Dana Point’s history. There will be a recognition of the Dana Point Outrigger Canoe Club and the town’s more recent designation as the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World.

A large parking lot on the inland side of the new buildings will also begin soon.

Once both the buildings — the first of which could be seen mid- to late-summer —and the parking lot are built, the next step will be to work on Dana Wharf, Ward said.

“Our promise to the city and the county and community is that we’re going to finish everything at the same time,” he said. “There’s different complexities to everything we’re doing; our goal is to finish in the fourth quarter of 2027. We’ll start moving tenants in so we can be open in time for the summer Olympics 2028.”

“We know surfing is going to take place in Trestles in San Clemente and we’re expecting watch parties to be in the harbor, our hotels full and a lot of tourism traffic in L.A. and Orange County,” he added. “We want to be done so we’re a destination.”

As the site work starts now, Ward said businesses currently in Mariners Village, such as The Brig and Beach Harbor Pizza, will close at the end of April. Any available space at Dana Wharf has already been snapped up by other harbor businesses that had to close earlier because of the demolition.

And, when construction starts on Dana Wharf, Ward said tenants there, which are on month-to-month leases, will also have to vacate.

Some, such as Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching and Catalina Express, will be accommodated with interim facilities near the parking structure, he said.

“She’ll be able to maintain access to her vessels, and we’ll replace her docks, but that won’t occur until we’re nearing the end of the commercial core project,” he said of Donna Kalez, who operates the Dana Wharf charters, the oldest business in the harbor.

“We funded a very large loan, and that loan is facilitating the actual completion of not just the commercial core but also all of the dock improvements,” Ward said. “That’s all staged to be completed when we’re completed. So, the end of 2027 is the target date to complete all of the marina as well.”

The docks are two-thirds completed, Ueberroth said. “We’re pleased with the progress we’re making.”

Olson said he is also happy with his progress, adding that the hotels have now been approved by the California Coastal Commission and the city. One is set to be a 130-room boutique lifestyle hotel and the other a more surf-lodge-style venue.

Olson said he expects to announce the names of the hotels in the next 60 days. Up to now, the luxury hotel has been called Dana House, a reference to Lido House in Newport Beach.

“Both hotels, in name and in decor, are going to be the storytellers of Dana Point Harbor, Dana Point community and the rich history long before the harbor was even here,” he said. “It will be the hotel locals will send family members and friends when they come into town.”

He also said he plans to hire locals for jobs at both hotels. And, he said, hiring them will add authenticity to keeping the area Dana Point-centric by having people who actually know the town and nearby communities and can offer recommendations.

Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley called the harbor renovation a “legacy” project; one she’s proud to support.

“It takes pieces of the past and moves them into the future. We can be proud because we’ll have our local favorites here, along with some fresh fare,” she said. “We’ll be proud because the public had a say in this.”

“Get it done better and faster,” she added during her remarks at this week’s ceremony, “because we don’t have any time to waste.”

Commercial core construction starts in Dana Point Harbor’s $600 million renovation Orange County Register

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Commercial core construction starts in Dana Point Harbor’s $600 million renovation

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