St. Petersburg Pier

The St. Petersburg Pier, officially known as the St. Pete Pier, is a landmark pleasure pier extending into Tampa Bay from downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. Over the years several different structures have been built at the same location. The most recent structure, the third owned by the city, was a five-story inverted pyramid-shaped building, designed by St. Petersburg architect William B. Harvard, Sr.. That Inverted Pyramid Pier was closed in 2013, and the new 26-acre Pier District opened on July 6, 2020. The $92 million dollar project includes five restaurants, a playground, an environmental education center, and numerous artworks including work by Xenobia Bailey, Nathan Mabry, Nick Ervinck, and a large sculpture entitled Bending Arc by Janet Echelman. Its opening was scheduled for May 30, 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida.

Before the construction of a centralized pier in St. Petersburg, Florida, there were several smaller piers that jutted out into the Tampa Bay from 1854 to the creation of the Railroad Pier in 1889. The first of which resulted from an expedition by Lt. C.H. Berryman replying to Florida senator David Levy Yulee to survey land for optimal partitions of railroad lines following the 1850 Florida Swamp Land Act to the region. Though due to the railroad being halted in Cedar Key, Florida the project was soon deserted, however the findings did stimulate active ideas in extending the line to the greater Tampa Bay metropolitan area due to his 1855 report.

More information

Comments Statistics

| | Public