What People Are Misunderstanding: 
San Diegans might’ve heard that the City is spending $4 million on a “temporary lifeguard tower” at Mission Beach and wondered why that price tag seems so high. That is a fair question. But the $4 million is not just the cost of one tower. It reflects a larger emergency project needed to keep lifeguard operations running safely at one of San Diego’s busiest beaches. 

What’s Really Happening: 
The $4 million is not just the cost of one temporary tower. It reflects a larger emergency public safety project needed to keep lifeguard operations running safely at one of San Diego’s busiest beaches. 

The actual hard construction cost for the temporary observation tower and a nearby office trailer is about $2.5 million. Another roughly $500,000 went toward design and permitting. The remaining costs include structural assessments, crack monitoring of the existing lifeguard station, emergency shoring, stabilization work, utility connections, site preparation, room conversions, and other work needed to keep lifeguard operations functioning while the aging station continues to deteriorate. 

This Mission Beach lifeguard station is not one of the City’s seasonal lifeguard towers placed on the beach during the busy summer months. While the structure itself is temporary, this site is one of nine permanent lifeguard stations strategically positioned along San Diego’s coastline. The station is staffed 365 days a year, with lifeguards on duty and actively patrolling the beach. During the summer months, lifeguards are generally on duty from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The City also places 19 additional seasonal lifeguard towers along our coastline during the high season. Seven of those seasonal towers are in the Mission Beach area. 

The temporary Mission Beach lifeguard tower is a practical solution to keep lifeguard operations running safely and efficiently while the City works to move the permanent replacement facility through the Capital Improvements Program.  

This is not a quick-and-easy- cosmetic project.  

The facility had to be built on sand in a harsh coastal environment, which required additional engineering, foundation work, anchoring and utility connections to make sure it was safe, stable and functional for lifeguard operations.  

There was not a cheap, prefab structure the City could simply purchase and place on the beach either. It required site-specific design, engineering and permitting, including coordination with the California Coastal Commission, because the facility is being installed in the coastal zone and must meet safety, access and coastal requirements. 

Again, the $4 million includes the temporary lifeguard tower and office, emergency safety improvements and stabilization of the existing lifeguard station, utilities, site preparation, permitting, engineering, and other related work needed to keep lifeguard operations running and protect the public. 

Here’s More Context: 
Mission Beach is one of San Diego’s most visited coastal communities, and the lifeguard station near Belmont Park supports some of the most important public safety work in the city. 

The temporary tower does not mean Mission Beach is moving to seasonal staffing or reduced lifeguard service. It allows year-round lifeguard operations to continue while the City works toward a permanent replacement for the aging facility. 

Instead of waiting until a permanent replacement was funded, designed and constructed, the City developed a solution for lifeguards to do their job and protect beachgoers. 

San Diego has many aging public facilities that need major repairs or replacement. Years of deferred infrastructure needs cannot be solved overnight. And before a public safety facility reaches the point where it can no longer safely serve the public, the responsible thing to do is act. This is also why San Diego needs sustained funding for infrastructure. Temporary emergency fixes are not a substitute for the long-term investments needed to repair and replace aging City facilities before they reach this point. 

More information about City budgeting and this capital project can be found here. 

What This Means for You: 
The temporary Mission Beach lifeguard tower keeps lifeguard services operating at one of San Diego’s busiest beaches while the City works toward a permanent replacement. 

This project is not about building something flashy. It is about keeping people safe.