The Florida city of St. Petersburg opened a 3,000-foot
tourist pier on July 6, the culmination of a multi-year push to redevelop and
modernize the city’s waterfront.
The new pier anchors a 26-acre arts, entertainment and civic
district. It will feature six restaurants and bars, a children’s activity area,
a science and discovery museum, public art, a Great Lawn and a fishing
deck. A shopping area will feature a
rotating array of independent vendors in kiosks and tents.
In the next year, the pier expects to host 78 festivals,
concerts, health-and-fitness activities and other events.
City officials had
intended to open the pier on May 30 but held off because of coronavirus concerns.
Photo Credit: City of St. Petersburg
The Pier District
will have three 12-passenger trams. The trams will be ADA accessible and are
designed to carry an additional 35-passenger trailer, if needed. Two electric
vehicles that can transport 11 passengers each will be available for special
occasions.
There will also be
approximately 25 boat slips with metered docking.
St. Petersburg has had a
pier at the location since 1889. The most recent version, which was torn down
in 2015, featured a pavilion at the end shaped like an inverted pyramid.