The public has voted on which design it would like to see replace the iconic inverted triangle of the St. Petersburg Pier, and it may look kind of familiar.
"Destination St. Pete Pier" is the public's top choice. It features a modern concept of the pier's inverted pyramid structure and will include multi-level decks, a large beach and restaurants.
St. Pete Design Group, the architects who came up with the concept, are also behind other city landmarks including the pier's original 1970s inverted pyramid design and the Dali Museum.
The seven proposed pier designs had to include certain details such as areas for outdoor recreation, event space, boat docking and environmental education.
The Pier Selection Committee, in charge of making recommendations to city administration on the ranking of the new pier designs, will take into account the results from the online public survey. They will decide on a final ranking and present it to St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman and the City Council on March 20.
Kristin Brett, the Pier Communications Coordinator, said receiving the public's input was important to city administration. It will be considered along with other important aspects in making the final decision on the new pier.
"They're looking at, you know, things like permitting issues, costs, subsidy costs to the city, the technical experience of the design team and things like that, along with the public's input," Brett said.
The council will make a decision in April and the final contract is expected to be approved this summer.
The project is expected to cost around $46 million, including the cost of demolishing the current pier.
The city's goal is to have a new pier by 2018.
