Boiler Bay Beacon
360° view of D River construction site 8-21-26
The old restroom building came down May 7, a day after the May 6 groundbreaking. Bremik Construction is on the job. Curbs are poured. The wood shell is rising on the wayside, just west of Highway 101 and right against D Sands condominiums. The desk staff there have been easy neighbors while the work goes on. They welcome the new center.
The fenced construction zone is closed to vehicles and pedestrians. City and parks officials have said they will keep beach access, some parking, and temporary restrooms available as much as possible. One stair route to the sand is supposed to stay open as long as it can. The ADA ramp is closed for the duration of construction.
Explore Lincoln City’s Visitor Services Manager, Cynthia Morgan, said they will have an office in the finished building and she will work as the city’s on-site ambassador. She said staff are excited about the new center and that “keeping the view” was a priority for the City Council and the design team.
Morgan said Bremik Construction has been a pleasure to work with and that Superintendent Eric Avila has been “great.”
Morgan also said the small access between D Sands and the visitor center will be rebuilt as a proper emergency road so North Lincoln Fire and Rescue units, ambulances and police can get through easily.
The structure is sited outside the mapped floodplain so the ocean stays in the frame from the lobby and the deck, according to the city’s project materials.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department leased D River State Recreation Site to Lincoln City at no cost, effective April 27, so the city could rebuild the wayside. Explore Lincoln City will operate the Welcome Center. The city and OPRD announced the handover in April.
City Council awarded the progressive design-build contract to the Bremik Construction team, working with Bearing Architecture and Understory. Officials have put the project at $6.7 million, paid with a $2.5 million Oregon Lottery grant and reinvested transient lodging tax. In 2025 the wayside drew about 1.1 million visitors, according to reporting on park figures. City news releases have described annual use as high as 1.5 million. Morgan said “It’s just going to get better.”
Project documents list ramps, more accessible parking, beach wheelchair lockers, an improved path to the sand, and the seasonal Mobi-mats already used at D River. Inside, the plans call for a hearing loop and KultureCity sensory supports.
A signature sculpture for the plaza is still in selection. The Lincoln City Public Arts Committee, working with Explore Lincoln City, has three finalists. The city has scheduled a meet-the-artist open house for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, in City Council Chambers, third floor of City Hall, 801 SW Highway 101. The concepts are posted at connectlincolncity.org/lincoln-city-welcome-center. Lincoln City residents can rank the artists’ pieces by order of preference at the survey in the link.
