time for a new ‘the pier’
permalink | categories: city, development, environment, history, icon, marketing, names, st pete, tourism, transportationby tommy @ 10:43 am
“The Pier” has been a landmark of downtown St. Petersburg since 1899 when Peter Demens connected the Orange Belt Railroad to a half-mile wharf. D. F. Brantley 
started the first Pier Pavilion in 1895, and a “Municipal Pier” debuted in 1913. But it is the 1926 “Million Dollar Pier” (postcarded here) that long-time residents remember.
The Million Dollar Pier was the place to be – whether it was for a veteran’s meeting, a high school dance or a just getting a Coke at the drive-in. In the days before air conditioning, the way to cool off was to take a drive out to this community center pier. Cruise boats docked at the pier and during World War II so did the military ships.
The city began tearing down Million Dollar Pier in 1967, 
and opened today’s inverted pyramid structure in 1973. In 1978, the city installed a laser on the third floor of the inverted pyramid, sending a “beam of green” up the pier to downtown. It never really worked great, and was removed in the mid 80s.
The Pier got a $12 million makeover in 1988, with a lovely shade of turquoise contrasting the pale yellow building.
You may have noticed that The Pier Aquarium is looking to move off The Pier, and over to Baywalk. It seems that after 35 years, The Pier and the building at the end of it are falling apart. So now the city is looking for ideas on what to do with The Pier.
To do it right, some have suggested we look at other piers across the nation, such as Chicago’s Navy Pier (pictures), Santa Monica Pier (pics), and San Francisco’s Pier 39 (pics).
But maybe we ought to knock it down and replace it with a bridge to Ruskin.
You got any ideas?
Tags: pinellas, St. Petersburg, The Pier, tourism
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:10 am
i worked at the columbia restaurant in the pier and most of the people who visited the pier (if not all) were tourists. downstairs is nothing but tourists shops, and the two restaurants (columbia and capt al’s) are over-priced and serve mediocre food. it’s difficult to imagine the pier ever being more than a tourist trap since i’m sure the higher rents and location will keep better independent restaurants away.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:13 pm
The pier is fiercely, hideously, beyond-belief ugly. The road to usability must be cleared with a wrecking ball.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Seriously, no one mentioned expanding it and building a baseball park there?
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
The laser was a sculpture by artist Rockne Krebs, first installed in 1976. A much better St. Pete Times article about its history is at:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/6l9rgr
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I think it should be rebuilt to look exactly as it did in 1899. That’s a beautiful building.
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Yeahh, Brendan! And it would be a big draw, as well, tourism-wise. Well spotted!
July 29th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Yes, I agree with Brendan, architectural talent seems to be in short supply in the bay area, just rebuild the 1899 pier building.
Or, if we feel adventurous and optimistic, an architectural competition can be initiated for a new pier building–invitations need to be sent to other than the local-yokels though.