Eight teams unveiled their visions for the new St. Petersburg Pier on Monday.

Two of the firms plan to build a brand-new pier, while the others look to work with the existing inverted pyramid.

The plans that involve the existing pier are:

  • Prospect Pier, with a vision of a downtown journey that passes through a park and into a stroll over the water.
  • The rePier, which provides a place where people can enjoy the water and a marine habitat. It also includes a shaded social space that generates electricity.
  • The Pier Park, which is meant to transform the historic pier into a 21st-century public place with plenty of activity for residents.
  • Blue Pier offers a shaded pier walk with a view and boat docks, as well as a lagoon landscape.
  • Discover Bay Life has three destinations: a park, a pier and a marine discovery center.
  • Destination St. Pete Pier, which architects envision with a crystalline pyramid and waterfalls that offer multi-level layers of shade. The design includes fishing, Spa Beach, dining and a children's zone.

The two designs that completely rebuild the pier are:

  • The Crescent, which would include picnic areas, an amphitheater and a promenade.
  • The ALMA, which offers fishing and boating, waterfront dining and a pedestrian promenade.

Each architectural firm team received $30,000 to develop a design, cost estimates and an outline of how the concept meets the findings of the Pier Working Group and Waterfront Master Plan.

The Pier Working Group is made of citizens asked by Mayor Rick Kriseman to determine the next steps in developing a new pier plan.

The men and women held public meetings over the summer to gather input. They put together a set of recommendations and issued a final report to the Mayor.

Mike Connors, who is part of the Pier Working Group, said the eight plans bring the city one step closer to a new pier, but just with a different process.

"I think today is gonna reveal that the process is working and it's gonna show a very diverse vision of the Pier's form and function from the varying concepts submitted," he said.

The new designs came after voters scrapped the last pier design, known as the Lens. The design was something resident Gene Smith campaigned hard against.

This time, though, Smith said he's pleased with the way things are going.

"We're really pleased that this time, compared to last time, when there was only three designs that were submitted to a panel of experts," he said.

Residents seem to be mixed about the design concepts.

Mary Beth Bosco said she doesn't care which design is chosen.

"So long as they do something about the pier," she said. "That's almost more important to me than what it looks like."

Quinn Ladd said he isn't a fan of any of the chocies.

"You think we got a winner in there?" he said. "What do you think? I don't think so."

Other residents commented on the cost, while some seemed impressed with some of the designs.

All of those residents will get the chance to weigh in on the decision. Residents of St. Petersburg who are 18 and older will get to name their top three preferences in an online survey, which will be open on the city's website between Feb. 23 and March 6.

After that, the selection team will rank the finalists in March.

The teams selected to produce the concepts are: