And so does one partner in the company that announced four years ago that fine dining, sport fishing, a museum and more would be in operation soon.
By Ward Lauren / Special to The Malibu Times
It’s been 14 years since the 100-year-old Malibu Pier was severely damaged in the 1993 El Niño storms. And it’s been four years since it was announced that the group, Malibu Pier Partners LLC, negotiated a 20-year contract with the state to manage and operate the pier. Plans for an upscale dining establishment at the site of the former Alice’s restaurant was announced, and, in addition to sport fishing, a bait and tackle shop and a surf museum would also be established. But since 2003, only the casual Mo’s café has operated on a weekend-only basis until last fall, and the sport fishing was implemented.
Also since 2003, a trademark battle took place over the rights to the name, Malibu Pier, and two lawsuits against Malibu Pier Partners had been filed. The courts ruled in favor of the state to the right to use the pier name, but the status of the lawsuits remains in limbo. One lawsuit was filed by Jay Sadofsky, owner of Mo’s, for an alleged breach of contract, and the other by Jeffrey Bonhach, former director of development for the pier, for allegedly being unfairly terminated from his position.
Despite all this, Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner, local managing partner of Malibu Pier Partners, LLC plugs on with making plans.
A 55-foot sport fishing boat is operating again on weekends from the famed state historic landmark.
“Our sport fishing boat, the Aquarius, run by ‘Captain Rick’ Hays, goes out a couple of times a weekend,” Wagner said. “This schedule will become more frequent during the summer.”
A proposal for a 400-passenger ship to provide dinner cruises locally up and down the coast is still under consideration, he said.
Wagner’s Northern California partner, Alexander Leff, to whom operating details have been furnished, has not yet responded to the proposal, Wagner said. Leff, a partner in the law of firm of Sher and Leff, based in San Francisco, is responsible for financial decisions regarding the operation of the pier and its concessions.
“Nobody has said no and nobody has said yes,” Wagner said.
And, as to a restaurant and food services to be offered on the pier, the surf shop owner said, “There’s not much to report. We have not yet secured restaurant occupancy. The reason? No suitable tenants, as per my partner.
“A number of people make proposals all the time, but I have to run those proposals by my partner; I can’t make a decision without him, nor he without me,” Wagner added. “I’m ready to take anybody; I just want to get the thing open. But the fiduciary responsibility is up to Alexander Leff. The physical running of the plant is mine.”
Leff did not return several phone calls from The Malibu Times” regarding this story.
Mark Zuckerman, however, part-time consultant hired by Leff to assist in development projects at the pier, said that more things are happening there for the public all the time.
“There are some very substantial announcements coming in a very short period of time,” he said. “I’m talking about the use of the buildings. They are going to be occupied, and it’s going to be an exciting announcement when it comes.
“Many people judge the pier by what’s going on in the buildings, but that’s not the entire story. If you go out to the pier on an average weekday in the afternoon you will not believe how used it is: people fishing, people walking, having lunch. Movies are being made there, commercials are being filmed there. The sport fishing boat is used for whale watching as the migratory pattern permits. Every month there are new things that happen and more people use the pier for their personal enjoyment.”
He said many people would like to have a business, such as boating or dining, centered on the pier, but that not every desire could be accommodated. He felt that Malibu Pier Partners deserved a certain amount of credit for the facilities already in operation.
“There’s a sort of limited utility,” Zuckerman said. “There are only four buildings, there is only a certain stairway down to the sea, there are only so many things that work and that are appropriate to be done at the pier.”
Zuckerman fills the position formerly handled by Bonhach, alternating with Wagner as work demands at the pier.
“He’s there part time, I’m there the other part,” Wagner said. “But he’s not there for free; he’s receiving compensation, while as a partner I’m there for no charge. I haven’t made a penny on this since day one.”