After the futuristic Lens design was rejected by St. Pete voters late last month, the City of St. Petersburg is now moving, or attempting to move, forward with new plans for the current, dilapidated Pier structure on the St. Pete waterfront.
Last Thursday, the St. Petersburg City Council openly discussed the future of the iconic St. Pete Pier for the first time since voters struck down the idea of a new, futuristically-designed Pier structure called the Lens back in August.
The results were contentious.
While Mayor Bill Foster touted the benefits of "a pretty detailed survey of real people, large samplings" repeated over an undetermined amount of time, many council members were in disagreement with this initial idea, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Council member Leslie Curran, for instance, balked at the idea, claiming that St. Petersburg had just "watched an opportunity evaporate." She pushed Foster, asking when a new Pier would be constructed. Foster had no determined time.
Another council member Wengay Newton proposed restoring the current inverted pyramid structure, an idea he says was supported by last month's vote, but council members corrected that the vote was for a rejection of The Lens, not a resurgence of the old Pier structure.
Arguments ensued, some claiming a new Pier could remain untouched for another five years with no veritable consensus drawn until the debate had to be ended, the Times reports.
We'll keep you updated as more news arises regarding the St. Pete Pier.
