Ventura Harbor project could temporarily close Andria's, other tenants

A construction project at Ventura Harbor could temporarily close Andria's Seafood Restaurant & Market next year as the harbor builds out commercial fish offloading facilities and modernizes its operations. The plans call for the demolition of a building that includes Andria's back-of-house and office space as well as other tenants. Brian Bargiel, CEO for Andria's Seafood, said the project will affect the business' 45 employees and could potentially force the restaurant to close. 'This closure of an unknown duration will significantly affect us, and yes, it might lead to the closure of Andria's,' he said of the restaurant, located at 1449 Spinnaker Drive. Todd Mitchell, the port district's deputy general manager, said officials are exploring ways to reduce the impacts to the restaurant, including adding temporary outdoor facilities and making interior changes. Bids for the project are expected to go out in early 2027, with construction scheduled later that year, said Brian Pendleton, Ventura Port District general manager. On Sept. 2, port district commissioners voted 4-0 to provide $127,500 for development costs related to an interim plan, which will include reducing the effects on Andria's during construction. Commissioner Chris Stephens was absent. Commissioners also approved sending a letter to the city of Ventura committing to the project's $175,000 plan-check costs. 'I think it's critical that we do all of this, especially the studies to minimize the impact on Andria's,' Commissioner Elizabeth Howell said. The expansion is funded through a $15.7 million grant secured by nearby Port of Hueneme to relocate fish offloading facilities to Ventura Harbor, according to a port district staff report. While the project has been designed around the grant funding, Pendleton told commissioners the total cost remains uncertain until construction bids are received. The project includes demolishing a two-story building connected to Andria's and replacing it with a carport-style truck loading facility with up to nine bays, Pendleton said. A new section of the building will be constructed for Andria's, including office space and dry-goods storage on a one-and-a-half-story mezzanine level, he said. The project also includes a new public restroom and a new fish counter facing the promenade. The existing two-story building was built in the early 1980s, and the structure is 'not as great as it could be, and it's certainly not going to last forever,' Mitchell said. Demolishing the building will create additional space to offload squid from the fish pier into trucks, Pendleton said. The Ventura Harbor project will help relocate Oxnard Unloading Services, which handles squid offloading, from the Port of Hueneme, said Christina Birdsey, the Hueneme port's chief operating officer. Increased safety requirements and cargo operations have sometimes forced squid vessels to move from designated docking areas to accommodate other ships, Birdsey said. 'That can often lower the quality of squid when moving the vessel multiple times,' she said. The relocation will allow the Port of Hueneme to reclaim about 1.5 acres currently used for fish offloading and dedicate it to moving commercial goods, Pendleton said. The project dates back to January 2023, when the Oxnard Harbor District, which owns and operates the Port of Hueneme, submitted a Caltrans grant application through the Port and Freight Infrastructure Program that included the Ventura Port District as a sub-applicant, according to the report. Since then, the project has undergone public review, including hearings before Ventura's Design Review Committee and a city director's hearing. The improvements will accommodate existing fish offloading operations at the harbor, absorb fish and squid offloading from the Port of Hueneme and increase capability, according to the report. Part of the funding will also be used to demolish the existing fishing facilities at the Port of Hueneme and repave the site. Mitchell said Ventura Harbor handled about 44 million pounds of squid in 2024 and 48 million pounds in 2025, generating roughly $23 million annually. In addition to Andria's, portions of the building are leased to Del Mar Seafoods, J DeLuca Fish Co. for their offices and equipment storage and Ventura Fresh Fish for its fish market, according to the report. Port district staff plan to work with the businesses in the coming months to find solutions for their future office, storage and market needs. Bargiel said the board's action demonstrates the port district's commitment to keeping Andria's operating and minimizing impacts during construction. He said he wants the business to be closely involved as plans move forward. There may be things that make sense from an architecture and engineering point of view that won't make sense from a business operations point of view, he said. Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.