New St. Pete Pier Defeated in Referendum

BRADENTON – A staggering 63 percent of St. Petersburg voters rejected Tuesday's referendum vote on moving forward in building a new, $50 million space-aged replacement for the city's downtown pier, dubbed the Lens. Even though more than $4 million in design fees have been spent, a referendum was needed to continue the contract.

The fate of the pier, which is currently closed, fenced off and boarded up at the end of Central Avenue in the heart of downtown St. Pete, remains unknown. St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster is still seeking permits to demolish the current structure. On Tuesday's ballot, Foster earned a spot on November's mayoral runoff, along with former state rep. Rick Kriseman.