July19, 2012: City council votes to put some kind of referendum on the November ballot
July 6, 2012: VoteOnThePier.com delivers over 15,000 signed petitions to St. Petersburg City Hall to start the verification process.
June 8, 2012: Bill Foster releases his staff's response to the VoteOnThePier.com Archer Western estimate for refurbishing the pier.
January 12, 2012: The city releases their third party analysis of the pier design competition options, several critiques of the Lens design, resulted in the Lens being shrunk as well as moved 100 feet closer to shore, and several options being eliminated to cut costs.
December 5th, 2011: The Maltzan Lens Pier design is released, along with the Wave and the Eye designs, as part of the pier replacement design competition.
Here is a list of all of the articles we have written so far about the Pier:
- The "New Pier" Presentation by Lisa Wannemacher
- The Pier Referendum Vote
- Foster's Top Ten Reasons To Constantly Go Out To The Lens Pier
- What If Foster's Pier Thinking Were Applied To Tropicana Field?
- The Foster, The Baker, The Candlestick-maker...
- Mayor Bill Foster Using Evolution Arguments For The Lens Pier
- Mayor Foster's Staff Issues Sloppy Response To Pier Renovation Estimate, And VOTP Fires Back
- EXCLUSIVE! Mayor-Elect Foster Suggested "Pier Referendum"
- Mayor Foster's Pier Propaganda, Round 3
- More "Foster's Pier Facts" Are Released
- Fact-Checking Mayor Bill Foster's "Pier Facts"
- A Tale Of Two St Petersburgs, Mayor Bill Foster Style
- Mayor Bill Foster Attacks Pier Initiative Group
- The New "Lens" Pier: Foster's Folly
- Mayor Bill Foster Backpedals on Pier Closing Date
Here are some quotes from public officials about the Pier:
- Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker - "when it comes to that new design for the pier, he's still partial to the old one."
http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_south_pinellas/st_petersburg/downtown-st-petersburg-could-be-a-model-for-others - Candidate for Mayor of St. Petersburg, Bill Foster(according to St. Petersburg Times reporter Cristina Silva) - "I remember Bill(Foster) getting all upset because Scott Wagman said he was going to bulldoze the Pier during that mayoral election"
http://billfosterwatch.blogspot.com/2012/06/exclusive-mayor-elect-foster-suggested.html - Mayor-elect Bill Foster - "it's likely voters will have the final say on the Pier through a referendum."
http://billfosterwatch.blogspot.com/2012/06/exclusive-mayor-elect-foster-suggested.html - St. Petersburg City Councilman Wengay "Newt" Newton - "This Pier is an icon. This is our city skyline... Someone has to stand up for the people," said Newton, who protests the cost, the lack of democracy, and the loss of history.
http://saintpetersblog.com/2012/01/wengay-newton-vote-on-the-pier-coalition-organize-to-save-landmark/ - St. Petersburg City Councilman Bill Dudley - "St. Louis didn't decide the (Gateway) Arch was too old and they were going to replace it... The idea of that pyramid, it's very identifiable, people recognize it. I don't like reinventing the wheel."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article1115988.ece - St. Petersburg City Councilman James Kennedy - wanted to salvage the Pier's base because he thinks it can still be used for several more years
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tourism/inverted-pyramid-at-the-pier-in-st-petersburg-headed-for-wrecking-ball/1115988 - Pinellas Commissioner and Pier juror Ken Welch - said he got a similar response from residents who didn't like any of the designs... he suggested holding another public hearing or possibly bringing in a new design before the vote but he was shut down.
http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/articles/ot/both/2012/01/20/Panel_announces_favorite_for_Pier_design_the_Lens.html - Candidate for Mayor of St Petersburg, Deveron Gibbons - "The Pier has been a jewel. It still has potential. It still brings -- I don't remember how many people, but a lot of people."
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/baybuzz/2009/03/what-should-hap.html - Candidate for City Council, Josh Shulman - "As an American, I want it to go to referendum. I want people to have a say."
http://m.cltampa.com/gyrobase/st-pete-city-council-a-primary-primer/Content?oid=2381790&showFullText=true - Ed Montanari, a Pier task-force member. "Let's make it clear to the public that rebuilding it as is will remain an option when the final decision is made."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/retail/task-force-sifts-through-plans-to-demolish-replace-st-petersburg-pier/1063303
