This is not your father’s spot for dropping a line in the water! St. Petersburg, Florida has officially approved the plans for a new pier. And if all goes well, it will be unlike anything that the community has seen before.
New piers are nothing new for St. Pete. But this time the budget is exceptionally high and so are the city planners’ and designer’s hopes.
The Pier Has a New Budget
The new St. Petersburg pier could soon be underway. Architect Magazine‘s article, “New Concept for St. Petersburg Pier in Florida Gets Approval From City Council,” explains that the city council has approved $40.3 million for the construction of the long-awaited pier, and a new vote has brought the total even higher.
Originally approved last summer, architects couldn’t move forward once it was learned that the budget fell quite a bit short. City officials ultimately voted to increase the budget by about $10 million, bumping it up to $50 million, which shows how much this city wants and needs this incredible new feature.
Watch the old pier come down in this time lapse video:
What Makes This Pier So Special
The St. Petersburg Pier has stood in its many different forms as an icon of the community, says Architect Magazine‘s article, “The Pier Park.” It was the Railroad pier in the late 1880s. Then it was the Electric pier, Municipal pier, Million-Dollar pier, and now residents and tourists alike know it was “The Pier.”
Through each incarnation, the pier has kept up with the times. This time, designers say that it “does more than replace an aging icon.” The new pier will tie into city transportation such as public transit and a proposed high-speed ferry, and it will offer recreation such as bike and jogging paths, plus a beautiful observation deck with fine dining. All that, plus the expected fishing and boating, too.
It’s an Award-Winning Design
Awarded an American Institute of Architects Design Award for 2016, this pier is not typical. The design will be on exhibit at the Center for Architecture in New York, says Architect Magazine, until June 25. Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers along with Ken Smith Landscape Architect and ASD design firm are responsible for making the city’s idea for a revamped space come to fruition.
Designer, Robert M. Rogers, FAIA and Rogers Partners founder, explained to Architect Magazine that they are “creating a place that embraces the dual role of the pier as both an icon for the city and an integral part of the Sr. Petersburg Waterfront. Considered a public park space, this new design is intended to attract people from all walks of life from the community.
Along with budget alterations, the pier design plans have been through a few changes of their own. Architect Magazine says that the lawn will now offer a wider variety of possible uses, and the fishing deck has been relocated to place it closer to the water and marine life. There have been a few scheduling issues, but the latest plans show a projected completion date in the fall of 2018.
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Image credit:
St. Petersburg Pier Rendering, City of St. Petersburg, FL