The Pier, should it go or not? (Sarasota: to live, restaurants)

[housingcrashsurvivor]

Was there once when first built. Though I've become used to it, I always thought it looked out of place, like someone chopped off an airport tower and barged it in.


photo credit: Danny McL on flickr

[jambo101]

Poll options are rather confusing does the yes box mean yes stay or yes go?
and does voting no mean no stay or no go?
Poll Options stay or go, the pier
yes
no

every time i go to the pier the place is packed with tourists,take it down and you also eliminate the tourists and they will just spend their money elsewhere.

[williecpt]

The Pier was actually one of the places that I liked when I was thinking of moving to the Bay Area 3 years ago, I eventually ended up moving to Tampa Bay and take my family and friends there when they visit.

I really hate to see it go, i'm all for keeping icons or historic buildings around.

The City of Orlando just paid a ton of money to fix the Lake Eola fountain, they determined that it was important for the city to keep the iconic fountain. It was 1.5 million to fix it, thats alot considering it's a fountain.

[1coolcustomer]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Poll options are rather confusing does the yes box mean yes stay or yes go?
and does voting no mean no stay or no go?
Poll Options stay or go, the pier
yes
no

every time i go to the pier the place is packed with tourists,take it down and you also eliminate the tourists and they will just spend their money elsewhere.

Sorry it was real early in the morning when I started the poll.........not enough coffee, lol. A yes vote means tear it down, no means leave it alone or repair it as it is. I can't imagine St Petersburg without it. As it is it's always been a unique place where anyone form homeless to the elite share the same space. It's already been mentioned on local news that the new pier won't be as long and another concern is will they still allow fishing.

They spent an awful lot of money in the mid 90's upgrading it.......seems like a waste to tear it down now.

[Angler]

Unfortunatley even reapiring it at this point will be more costly then tearing down and replacing. The fact is the structure is not sound. Some of the pilings have been there since the 1920s.

Also the busiensses in there are not doing well. The City has a chance to remake it inot something better than it was. I've seen all the proposed changes and the ones they shortlisted are well thought out.

[carloseats]

The Pier used to be good times for my family and I. Dinners at The Columbia, visits to the aquarium (when it was free), times at Cha Cha Coconuts. The view from the top of it is pretty spectacular, but in recent years the place just hasn't had the kind of attention it once had so I don't blame them if they want to take it down. They used to have this VR machine out front that was fun for me as a kid.

http://x43.xanga.com/ebaf84550153527...w216382487.jpg
A picture I took from the top back in 2006.

[St Petersburg On the Move]

LOL airport tower! Never thought of that. Would be nice if they could build something that would last longer than 40-50 years.

[ECHOES2]

Originally Posted by housingcrashsurvivor

Was there once when first built. Though I've become used to it, I always thought it looked out of place, like someone chopped off an airport tower and barged it in.


photo credit: Danny McL on flickr

OMG, Hilarious!! I've always thought it looked like an airport tower too.

I kind of like the look of the pier from a distance. Have been there a few times but quit taking visitors because they kind of scratch their heads as there isn't much of interest there. Mostly food, but why eat there when Moon Under Water is right there on Beach?

[FLABoyJ]

How long would the new one take?

[housingcrashsurvivor]

Originally Posted by ECHOES2

OMG, Hilarious!! I've always thought it looked like an airport tower too.

I kind of like the look of the pier from a distance. Have been there a few times but quit taking visitors because they kind of scratch their heads as there isn't much of interest there. Mostly food, but why eat there when Moon Under Water is right there on Beach?

Good to know I'm not the only one. Surprised I'd never heard anyone make a similar comment. I listened to part of the city meeting on the news. One of the commissioners called it a "national treasure".

Now of course I will have to go again before they tear it down. So I'll have visited that monument to odd architecture all of twice. I will miss it terribly.