A Bay Area group is asking Pinellas County commissioners to hold off on a plan to tear down the Friendship Trail Bridge.
Bikers and runners used the trail until 2008, when it was closed down due to safety concerns.
But now Southwest Florida Bicycle United Dealers, or SWFBUD, is asking county commissioners to wait before knocking down the bridge. They say they can make it safe again.
"We plan on making a true pedestrian park that spans from Pinellas County to Hillsborough County,” said architect Ken Cowart.
Alan Snel, SWFBUD’s director, says it would be an economic gain for the area, as well as a recreational attraction.
“Our region is defined by this body of water, brings Hillsborough and Pinellas together," Snel said. "It's a natural part of our identity and that’s why we want to save it."
But saving it won’t be cheap. A study shows the group will need to raise $13.5 million from private donors in addition to the $5.2 million in taxpayer dollars already set aside for the demolition.
The new plan is asking commissioners to hold off on demolition to see if parts of the bridge can be salvaged. SWFBUD is asking for an additional eight months to conduct a feasibility study before moving forward with a five-phase plan to turn it into the world’s largest pedestrian bridge.
Under the new plan the entire bridge wouldn’t have to be demolished. Only the parts which aren’t structurally sound. That’s why the group is asking for an extra eight months for a new feasibility study.
The group will go in front of Pinellas commissioners on Tuesday and Hillsborough county on June 6.