Riviera Village could trade angled parking spaces for wider sidewalks, bike lanes and outdoor dining areas under a $4 million redesign of South Catalina Avenue now moving through the planning phase.

The project, called the Riviera Village Pedestrian and Multi-Modal Enhancements Project, covers South Catalina Avenue between Avenue I and Palos Verdes Boulevard. It is funded entirely by a regional Measure M transportation grant that requires no local match, according to city documents.

The Redondo Beach City Council is scheduled to consider the Riviera Village Business Improvement District's 2026–27 annual report on Tuesday, Nov. 3. That agenda item covers the BID's advisory board and proposed assessments for 2027, not the final street design.

What the redesign could include

City planning documents describe reconfiguring the angled parking on South Catalina to widen sidewalks and create dedicated zones for outdoor dining and retail displays. The broader effort also contemplates bicycle lanes, improved pedestrian crossings, traffic-calming measures and potentially curbless streets where pedestrians and vehicles would share portions of the roadway.

The Riviera Village Association, which manages the BID, has also flagged a possible roundabout at Catalina Avenue and Avenue I as a traffic-safety priority. None of these features has been finalized. The eventual design depends on further engineering, public input and council approval.

Parking remains a central concern. City documents call for studying alternatives to offset any lost spaces, including the feasibility of building structured parking beneath the Village's triangle parking lot.

$2.69M engineering contract

A proposed engineering agreement with Chen Ryan Associates, doing business as CR Associates, was brought before the council on Oct. 6 for an amount not to exceed $2,694,885. The two-year contract, running through Oct. 5, 2028, covers design engineering, environmental studies, traffic engineering, urban design and community outreach, as first reported by Patch.

The city issued a request for proposals in April 2026 and received two bids. Public Works Director Andrew Winje's staff recommended CR Associates based on experience and expertise.

City staff anticipate presenting conceptual design options to the council in spring 2027, with construction documents potentially finished by the end of that year. Additional Measure M grant funding would be needed before any construction begins.

Parklet growing pains

The annual report also details challenges with the district's outdoor dining parklet program. Fee collection from participating businesses has been difficult, the report states. Overdue payments led to the transfer of one parklet location and forced the association to pay for dismantling another, formerly used by Redondo Beach Brewing Company at 1814 S. Catalina Ave. The removal opened seven parking spaces, according to minutes from the association's Aug. 18 board meeting.

District 1 Council Member Brad Waller, who regularly attends BID board meetings, told the board at that August meeting that a request for proposals had gone out for the Village redesign. He also noted that parking rates would likely increase.

The BID's proposed 2027 budget anticipates reduced parklet income. The association plans to shift more of its budget toward beautification, with the share rising to 50% in 2027, up from 35% in 2026. A new beautification committee is evaluating public art concepts, including decorative street and crosswalk paintings.

What's next

The council is also being asked to schedule a public hearing for Nov. 17 at 6 p.m., when objections to the proposed business assessments can be heard. The assessment structure would stay the same: a base annual fee of $125 plus $34 per employee, capped at $1,400. Kimberly Judy, owner of the retail store Card de A, leads the BID board as its new president for a term running through June 30, 2028.