U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues permit authorization for construction of new
St. Petersburg Pier
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District issued a permit authorization to the City of St. Petersburg for construction of the New Pier in St. Petersburg. The New Pier will be located within the waters of Tampa Bay at 800 2nd Avenue NE, St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida.
The Inverted Pyramid and St. Petersburg Municipal Pier approach were recently demolished from the project site.
The project will construct a new municipal pier with 4.09 acres of over-water structures, associated infrastructure, and amenities and will consist of three areas: The Western Pathways, the Event Plaza, and the Pier Head.
Western Pathways: The Western Pathways will be a triangularly shaped system of paths extending from the western shoreline to about a third of the length of the pier structure, which will include the Welcome Plaza, a multi-modal Transit Hub, Tilted Lawn, Splash Pad, Spa Beach, and beach restrooms.
Event Plaza: The Event Plaza section will encompass the central one third of the pier and connect the Western pathways to the Pier Head. A Kayak Launch, storage building, and floating dock will be located mid-pier.
Pier Head: The Pier Head’s trapezoidal section will cover the easterly one third of the pier and will include a deck level and a five story building with restaurant space, general assembly overlook, and roof level with an aluminum trellis roof.
The existing Spa Beach will be re-graded allowing the tides to reshape the beach naturally. At the northern end of the Spa Beach, a 50-foot long Spur will be constructed to retain the grade and protect the beach and near shore resources from wave energy.
No dredging is proposed for this project. No mooring of vessels will be allowed at the facility. No public transportation will be allowed on the structures. Fishing will be allowed in designated areas only. All above ground structures will be provided with lightning protection. Navigation lights will be installed on the breakwater and the spur structure and the far ends of the floating docks for safety. Turbidity barriers will be deployed during construction, and construction barges will be prohibited from working or anchoring within 20 feet of seagrass beds. Best management practices and a detailed stormwater management plan would be used during construction to minimize impacts to water quality.
The decision whether to issue or deny this permit was based on the evaluation of the probable impact to the associated waters of the U.S. and on the information received through the public notice process. The Corps’ decision is pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which authorized the Corps to regulate dredge and fill activities in waters of the United States, including some wetlands, and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, which authorized the Corps to protect and maintain the nation’s navigable waterways.
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