St. Petersburg officials to choose among 4 proposals for Pier - WFLA-TV Newschannel 8

St. Petersburg officials to choose among 4 proposals for Pier

St. Petersburg city council members will choose between four proposals on what to do about the aging waterfront pier and its inverted pyramid.

On Thursday afternoon, an advisory committee presented its final report to commission members. The report comes after 14 months and 63 meetings, including several public hearings.

Of the four proposals, only one keeps the iconic design that juts out into the bay. That proposal would utilize $50 million in tax dollars that will become available in two years. It's total cost: $87 million.

The other three proposals involve tearing down the pyramid and building something else in its place.

The clock is ticking on the current pier and pyramid structure. Salt air and water is corroding the piling under the approach. Though pilings under the pyramid are not in danger of immediate collapse, their lifespan is quickly coming to a close.

City council members are expected to vote on a proposal sometime in the fall. The plan is to have a new pier in place by the fall 2015.