Book 1 - City of St. Petersburg

BASIS OF DESIGN BOOK 1
3 GENERAL PLANNING CRITERIA
SITE AND URBAN
DESIGN CRITERIA
Site Location and Orientation
St. Petersburg Pier
800 2 nd Avenue NE
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
T: 727 821 6443
www.stpetepier.com
Latitude 28° N, Longitude 83° W
The site is located in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. Oriented
along an east-west axis, the Pier functions as an extension of 2 nd
Avenue NE into Tampa Bay. Whereas the Pier encompasses the
area east of the sea wall, the portion of the site located between
Bay Shore Drive NE and the seawall is referred to as the Uplands.
The Pier approach, a roadway accommodating vehicles, bicycles
and pedestrians, bridges the Uplands and the Pier head. The
five-story Inverted Pyramid, constructed in 1973, presently
occupies the Pier.
Existing Site Use
Figure 3.3 illustrates the current uses of the site. The Pier is
owned by the City of St. Petersburg and is administered by the
Downtown Enterprise Facilities Department of the City. Urban
Retail Properties, LLC has been managing and marketing the
Pier since 2001.
Existing Pier Head and Pier Approach
The first Pier Pavilion opened in 1895. The 1926 million Dollar
Pier building was torn down in 1967 and replaced in 1973 by the
Inverted Pyramid structure that currently occupying the site. The
Pier’s 1988 renovation incorporated new programmatic elements
such as shops, galleries and restaurants. Activities on the Pier
encompass fishing, festivals and the Pier Aquarium. Fishing
takes place on the Pier approach and around the exterior of
the building along the sea walls. Daily sightseeing boat tours
are also launched from the Pier and educational programs have
been held at the Education Station on Pier approach. Metered
and valet parking is available on the Pier approach.
Existing Uplands Area
The Uplands area, approximately 21 acres, is divided into three
parcels: the West, South, and North Parcels. The area east of Bay
Shore Drive consists of landscaped parkland, civic structures,
and beaches. Two parking lots accommodating cars and tour
buses are located in the Uplands area – the Dolphin Lot and
the Pelican Lot. The City’s Capital Improvement Plan calls for
the replacement of a small building with restrooms, and park
maintenance storage space in the near future. The Uplands area
is also the site of the St. Petersburg Museum of History, Spa
Beach, and Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro, located on the corner of
2 nd Avenue NE and Bay Shore Drive. At the southern edge are
the existing Marina and Central Basin; the northern edge abuts
the North Basin.
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THE NEW ST. PETERSBURG PIER