St. Pete City Council approves new pier design with 7-1 vote

On Thursday, we learned exactly what the St. Pete Pier will look like.The St. Petersburg City Council voted 7 to 1 to approve the “Pier Park” design. City Council members listened to more than two hours of public comment on the issue, as some people made passionate pleas to retain the old, inverted pyramid pier.

The vote now allows St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman to enter into negotiations for a contract with the design team for Pier Park. Contract negations are expected to take 45 to 60 days.

“Today, the Sunshine City took a huge leap forward in securing the suture of the St. Petersburg Pier, and our treasured waterfront,” Kreiseman said.

‘Pier Park’ is a multi-level structure with a fabric roof. It has a variety of floating docks, a bar and grill with panoramic views, and a concert venue.

The entire project is expected to cost around $33 million.

The process has been met with controversy. In an online vote, St. Pete residents overwhelmingly favored “Destination St. Pete Pier” which reused the pyramid design. But the selection committee ranked that design second.

John Rogers contributed to this report. Copyright 2015 WFLA. All rights reserved.