Visitors to Big Sur could soon spend the night near the Bixby Bridge

Seven years after the HBO drama Big little lies After introducing a whole new generation to the beauty of the Bixby Bridge, storm-battered Big Sur received some good news: Visitors might soon be able to spend the night near it. An abandoned 2.5-acre oceanfront parcel near the famous 1932 photogenic arch could once again be a full-service restaurant and inn, complete with public restrooms, now that the California Coastal Commission has reached a deal with the landowner, billionaire Patrice Pastor. .

According to Mercury News, under the deal, Pastor could redevelop the site of the former Rocky Point restaurant, which operated from 1947 to 2020 and which he purchased in 2021 for $8 million. The current renovation plan calls for a 166-seat restaurant and a 14-room inn.

Kirk Gafill, president of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce, said several buildings are currently on the Rocky Point parcel, including rental housing, although he did not know if any redevelopment proposal involved renovation or a demolition. Either way, Pastor's projects will significantly improve the public's ability to enjoy the area around the Bixby Bridge.

“Most public services on the Big Sur coast are offered by private companies, so any time a private company closes its doors, it results in a significant decrease in services offered to the traveling public,” Gafill said.

Although public access to Rocky Point's trails and views has not been seriously impeded in the meantime, the pastor agreed to unlock the doors of the defunct restaurant and remove all “no trespassing” signs, replacing them with signs indicating that the public can visit the site. According to Mercury News, he also agreed to build restrooms, improve existing trails and ensure drivers can park their cars safely along this spectacular stretch of Highway 1, about two and a half hours away. south of San Francisco.