"The Pier Park" selected as winning St. Petersburg Pier design

Maybe the second time's the charm? "The Pier Park" by Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers, ASD, and Ken Smith is the winning proposal for the new St. Petersburg Pier in Florida. The Pier Selection Committee met last Thursday to deliberate the final rankings, which included feedback from the public.

In the end, the committee ranked the final three proposals in the following order:

• "The Pier Park" by Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers, ASD, and Ken Smith
• Destination St. Pete Pier by St. Pete Design Group
• ALMA by Alfonso Architects, inc.

The winning design has been selected, but it still needs approval from the City Council during a meeting, which will take place in the near future. If the design gets the greenlight, city staff will begin negotiations with the winning team.

"'We established a pier process that citizens on every side of this issue agreed would result in a fair and objective decision. I am proud that we have stayed true to that process and that it has been transparent and open to the public throughout. I thank the Selection Committee for their diligence and their hard work,' St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said in a statement. 'This was not an easy job, but it was a necessary one. The iconic St. Petersburg Pier has often been the source of passionate debate in the Sunshine City, but it is also a source of great pride. I'm looking forward to the day we cut the ribbon on a new St. Petersburg Pier.'"

Mike Connors, public works administrator for the city and Selection Committee chairman, said: "'I appreciate the work of those on the Selection Committee as well as our city staff who have been dedicated to this process for years. The Selection Committee has chosen a preeminent architect with their associated team who will advance the detail of their iconic concept as we move closer to construction and the symbol of St. Petersburg's next chapter. With this selection we are taking a bold step towards our city's bright future.'" 

Check out the full winning proposal here. (PDF)