St. Petersburg city leaders broke ground June 28 on the new pier, finally moving forward with construction on a project that some feared would never get started.
- Preview story: Groundbreaking for new St. Pete Pier to be held Wednesday
- Re-designing of property took two years
- New pier expected to be completed by 2018
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The multi-million dollar project has been designed and re-designed over the last two years, as the pier site remained an empty void after the inverted pyramid pier was torn down late last year.
Mayor Rick Kriseman said it was worth the wait.
“It was really important that we fulfill the desires of the community from the standpoint of functionality, but do it within budget, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Kriseman.
Although the ceremony was held Wednesday, pier developer Vince Less told us construction has already started.
“You'll start seeing piles go out into the water, and as they start to get far enough out, you'll start to see the deck of the pier emerge," said Less. "My understanding, from last phasing diagrams that I saw, they're gonna work their way out from the shore.”
The pier is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. In the meantime, developers have created a virtual tour that walks you through the project. To take the "tour", visit www.asdsky.com/pier.
A rendering of what part of the new St. Pete Pier will look like once construction is completed in 2018. (Image courtesy of ASD|SKY)