When Larry Kirkland designed the Grant Street Pier, he hoped it would mirror a sailboat passing along the Columbia River.
That resemblance is coming together this week after the arrival of a white, steel mast rising near the base of the pier. When the pier opens next summer, the 75-foot beam will keep it aloft over the river with galvanized steel cables.
Temporary cables can already be seen linked into the mast, but those will be replaced by permanent cables in December, city officials said Wednesday. After that, wood pilings underneath the pier will come out.
“We’re super excited that we have the mast up. It’s really going to be a visual highlight of the park, and to get that major milestone behind us is terrific,” said Julie Hannon, the city’s Parks & Recreation director.
