Monday, September 17, 2012
Last week, Michael Maltzan presented his evolving design for the "Lens" to members of the City Council.
Here is a video from last week's presentation by architetct Michael Maltzan about his "Lens" design, which is expected to replaced the existing Pier. In the above video, Maltzan talks about changes he has made to his design, based on public feedback, and his vision for the project. Maltzan noted that the design changes are based on concerns raised by the public in more than two dozen community meetings. The $50 million "Lens" design is slated to replace the inverted pyramid building. Maltzan and his team are going through the "basis of design" phase, which is expected to be completed and presented to council on Oct. 25. The inverted pyramid is slated to close on May 31, 2013;demolition would start in September 2013.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
The architect who designed the "Lens" offered modifications, which he said reflects input from the public. Meanwhile, the city faces legal threats from two different groups.
Noting that he considered feedback from more than 25 public meetings, architect Michael Maltzan presented an evolving "Lens" pier design Thursday that he said better reflects what St. Petersburg residents want. The $50 million "Lens" is the design slated to replace the inverted pyramid building that is the centerpiece of the St. Petersburg Pier. Changes to the design include adding additional shade structures along the pier approach, more dinning options over the water including an event space at the end of the rebuilt pier. One significant change was the shifting of the so-called "Hub" of the Lens. Originally, the Hub was positioned directly in front of the Lens. Now, Maltzan said it has been moved south to allow better views of the …
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Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The June 11 deadline set by Mayor Bill Foster is not stopping VoteOnThePier.com from continuing its petition drive to collect nearly 16,000 signatures.
June 11 came and went and for the future of the existing Pier, nothing has changed. VoteOnThePier.com is still collecting petitions to try and force a referendum on the future of the inverted pyramid and the city is still under contract with Michael Maltzan Architecture to build the "Lens." Less than two weeks ago, Mayor Bill Foster set the June 11 deadline for Vote on the Pier to submit nearly 16,000 petitions to have residents vote on the pier. Monday, Tom Lambdon, chairman for Vote on the Pier, said the deadline passed without a word from the city. "Nothing from the city, but the sound of crickets," said Lambdon in an interview with Patch. "We continue to move forward to obtain the balance of signatures required to force the referendum…
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Even with 16,000 signed petitions by June 11, a citywide vote to decide the St. Petersburg Pier's future may not happen.
Last week the city sent a letter to VoteOnthePier.com stating that its Pier petition drive has to be completed by June 11, or the city will not put the future of the existing inverted pyramid up for a vote. Tom Lambdon, who chairs Vote On the Pier, said the deadline is meaningless and that the group would continue to push for the nearly 16,000 votes necessary to force a referendum. “For the Mayor to arbitrarily come up with this deadline is ridiculous,” Lambdon said in an interview with Patch. “It’s clear why he wants to do it. To try and promote an ill-conceived and unsupported “Lens” pier." However, even if Vote on the Pier gets the required number of verified petitions by June 11, which Lambdon said is not likely, there is no …
Friday, June 1, 2012
June 11 is the deadline the city issues to a group trying to force a citywide vote on the Pier's future.
Mayor Bill Foster and the city announced that Vote On The Pier has until June 11 to submit the number of required petitions to force a citywide vote on the Pier's future. For Vote On The Pier chairman Tom Lambdon, June 11 is just another day. Friday, Lambdon said his group has collected more than 14,000 petitions but still needs nearly 16,000 petitions to force a vote on the future of the inverted pyramid building. He believes that the Pier should not be demolished to build the "Lens" unless the public votes to spend $50 million to build it. “For the Mayor to arbitrarily come up with this deadline is ridiculous,” Lambdon said in an interview with Patch. “It’s clear why he wants to do it. To try and promote an ill-conceived and unsupported…
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The St. Petersburg City Council voted 7-1 to approve a design contract for the "Lens," with Michael Maltzan Architecture.
The St. Petersburg City Council has approved the design contract for the "Lens," with Michael Maltzan Architecture. Despite opposition from a vast majority of those who spoke at the meeting and opposition released from a recent StPetePoll, the contract was approved 7-1. The contract includes five design phases, including the most crucial phase, phase I, which is also called the basis of design. The goal during phase I is for a refinement of the conceptual design. During that phase, the Maltzan team will have meetings with the public and the Council to solicit input. It is during those meetings where the design will take shape and pubic enthusiasm for the project will increase, according to Council Chair Leslie Curran. "Once people start …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
At Thursday's St. Petersburg City Council meeting, the council will vote to approve a contract with Michael Maltzan Architecture for the design costs of building "The Lens".
It will not be the point of no return Thursday, but should City Council vote to approve a contract with Michael Maltzan Architecture Thursday, it is committing the first $4.69 million for the design costs of the "Lens". If approved Thursday, the contract for the design phases would follow as. While not the most expensive design phase, the most crucial phase, according to city documents, is Phase I. During that phase, a process to evaluate the “Lens” concept relative to the construction cost budget will be developed. Phase I will include a public input session and council workshops to solicit input on concept refinements, the scope of upland developments and coordination of regulatory permits. Phase I is scheduled to take five months to …
Thursday, February 23, 2012
On Thursday, city staff recommended closing the St. Petersburg Pier on May 31, 2013. Staff said the construction of "The Lens" is tentatively scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2015.
The historic St. Petersburg Pier will likely close in May 2013 if contract negotiations and the process moves forward for the city to build "The Lens." Opened in 1973, the inverted pyramid is scheduled to be shut down May 31, 2013. Chris Ballestra, with development, said that while the construction, design and permitting process is fluid, construction for "The Lens" is slated to end in the third quarter of 2015. "It's important that we establish a date for closure," Ballestra said. Following the closing, city staff said the tenants would have 45 days to move out. Demolition would follow with construction tentatively scheduled for the first quarter of 2014. "We are looking at about an 18-month construction window," Ballestra added. …
Monday, February 20, 2012
The city hosted a Pier workshop with designer Michael Maltzan detailing the project. The Council should have a contract to vote on within 45-60 days.
The multi-million dollar amphitheater, drawbridge connecting to the Vinoy, and a million-dollar water park are off the table. The expensive options, or phases, to the "The Lens" are not going to happen, according to the designer himself, Michael Maltzan. Maltzan and his team were in St. Petersburg last week meeting the community and city officials about the future of St. Petersburg's Pier. The top concern among neighborhoods , town halls and the Council is the budget. The bucks stop at $50 million, period. "That is the $50 million project," Maltzan told councilors during a Pier workshop last week. "That is what we are focused on doing." On Feb. 2, the Council voted 7-1 to start contract negotiations with the Michael Maltzan …
N.A.W.
3:50 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012
The lens is a disgusting display of arrogance being shoved down the throats of an unwilling populace! Do the math...23,000 registered voters signed petitions, I am one of them...and I have at least 20 friends and family that believe the same way....that's a heck of a lot of people! Never, ever, have I seen such blind arrogance from our supposed "leaders". STOP THE LENS! more ›