New St. Pete Pier by the numbers

As the new St. Pete Pier grows over the waters of Tampa Bay, so does anticipation for what this new landmark will mean for St. Petersburg and surrounding communities. Slated to open in early 2020, the St. Pete Pier will host a variety of new restaurants, shops, interactive experiences, and other elements that will be unveiled over the next several months.  

But how much goes into building a pier like this one? The new St. Pete Pier is an impressive structure both in stature and by the numbers. It takes many people — and a lot of material — to bring this landmark from an idea on paper and computer screens to a real-life place that countless people will enjoy over the next generations. 

Here’s a breakdown on some of the numbers involved in the new St. Pete Pier: 

• $87 million – the estimated total cost of construction 
• $80 million – annual economic impact for the local community
• 425,000 – person-hours spent on building the pier as of June 2019
• 32,175 – linear feet, the total length of all pilings supporting structure
• 14,900 – square feet of new restaurant space 
• 6,667 – cubic square feet of concrete poured for the marine structural deck 
• 3,065 – feet in the total length of the Pier District 
• 1973 – the year the city’s famous Pyramid Pier opened to the public 
• 1926 – the year the Million Dollar Pier opened to the public, and also the year the city’s previous pier approach, also used for the Pyramid Pier, was constructed 
• 1,300 – approximate number of workers involved  
• 1,275 – feet of the pier over the water
• 1,139 – square feet of retail sundry space at The Pier Head building
• 429 – 24” x 24” pilings driven for the pier 
• 225 – workers on site at any time on working days during the peak of construction 
• 75 – feet, the average depth of pilings driven into the ground 
• 26 – acres, the size of the St. Pete Pier District 
• 25 – courtesy boat slips on the south side of the pier
• 20 – old pilings used for the previous pier approach that were saved and will remain visible near the Discovery Center & Wet Classroom operated by Tampa Bay Watch
• 8 – piers the city of St. Petersburg has had since the late 19th century, with this project counting as the eighth 
• 7 – years between the closure of the Pyramid Pier and the projected opening of the new St. Pete Pier
• 4 – floors at the new Pier Head building
• 3 – foodservice concepts for The Pier Head, including upscale restaurant Teak, rooftop bar Pier Teaki, and the Driftwood Café
• 2 – breakwater elements on the north side of the pier
• 1 – the percentage of sales tax, also known as “The Penny for Pinellas,” that goes to funding various recreational and infrastructural projects in Pinellas County, with revenue from the 1% sales tax funding part of the new St. Pete Pier construction