Know
The future of St. Pete’s Elbow Lane Pier is unclear
City Council will vote Thursday whether or not to allocate $1.8 million for demolition.
There has been a wooden pedestrian pier at the end of Elbow Lane in west St. Petersburg since 1921.
The walkway, adjacent to a public boat ramp, has been rebuilt, refurbished, fortified and modified numerous times over the decades (most recently in 2007). The otherwise sturdy structure on Boca Ciega Bay was no match for Hurricane Helene’s storm surge in 2024, however.
Neighborhood residents are wondering what’s going to happen to the approximately 100-foot pier, which was a popular spot for sunset-watching, and for viewing fireworks over the distant beaches.
“It’s still closed, which to me and the neighborhood associations is not a problem,” said John Hoke, president of the Jungle Terrace Civic Association. “We just want a timeline and a resolution.
“When we started asking the City about it, they said ‘It’s going to be rebuilt, but it’s going to be smaller.’ And that can be anything from a smaller pier to basically a small observation deck at the end of the grass.”
Added Juliana Fisher, president of the Jungle Prada Neighborhood Association, “I would rather them not do anything until we’re all in agreement on what needs to be done.”
Councilmember Copley Gerdes has been advocating for a path forward. “The pier,” he explained, “has always been a priority. I spoke with Community Enrichment Director Mike Jefferis the day after the storm, and the two of us have been working on the project ever since.”
Engineers have determined that the pier, as it exists, is unsafe.
Engineers have determined that the pier, as it exists, is unsafe. At Thursday’s City Council meeting, a vote will be taken on whether or not to allocate the $1.8 million necessary to demolish it. Permits have been secured.
“Then we’ll go into discernment of what the next iteration of the pier will be,” Gerdes said. “And how much money do we want to spend? What will it look like? How far out do we want it to go?”
An early estimate for rebuilding was in the neighborhood of $5M.
“The challenge, as is often the case, is funding,” said Gerdes. “Where is that money coming from? Where are we moving it from? It’s almost certainly replacing another project. The Parks & Rec CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) is already stretched to the limit.”
“We’ve asked to be part of the conversations and the decision points on the pier,” Hoke explained. “If funding’s the problem, how much is coming from FEMA? Can they take private donations?
“Could we consider monetizing this boat ramp?” he asked, “because it’s St. Pete’s last remaining free boat ramp.”
Neighborhood leaders are scheduled to meet May 5 with Gerdes and Jefferis.
There will be a period for public comment before Thursday’s vote. Fisher intends to be there to advocate. “It’s not even just people from the west side of St. Pete,” she said. “People come from Seminole, they come from Gulfport. I’ve had people come from Tierra Verde. It is the only over-water access on the west side. And we all know the sun sets in the west, so it’s very busy and very well used at sunset hours.”
Gerdes, who grew up going to the pier, said he knows firsthand its value to the district. “If it weren’t a priority, we would tear it down and be done with it. But we’re doing to the work to figure out what we want to build, and what we can build.”
Richard Courson
April 15, 2026at5:10 pm
I hope they do save/rebuild that pier. I lived in Azaleaville from the 50s, went to Azalea Elementary and played on that pier and in the Indian Mound there. I also worked at the Jungle Prada in the 60s when the Hesser’s owned it. Glad to see it’s still there.
Steven Walker
April 15, 2026at2:32 am
It would be great if a pier similar to the one that was damaged is built, and even better if the City would engage with the nearby neighborhoods and residents to come up with a plan. Unfortunately, the City hasn’t been doing that in recent years. They aren’t interested in doing anything to preserve recreational and quality of life resources like this pier. Good luck to Jungle Terrace, but it is much more likely than not the City will disappoint on this one, as they have in other neighborhoods over the last several years.
Erik Valind
April 14, 2026at11:11 am
Would love to see it rebuilt bigger and better! Please add a floating dock or area for boaters to tie up so they can go enjoy the JP Tavern by water too.
Tracy Carhart
April 13, 2026at9:52 pm
Totally agree it should be rebuilt – locals have gone there for years for sunsets, fishing and it is part of the history of our community. The community should be allowed to contribute their views on the outcome of the project.
John Donovan
April 13, 2026at9:16 pm
It should be rebuilt in some good way.
Kevin King
April 13, 2026at6:42 pm
The Jungle Prada Pier should be rebuilt swiftly. It’s been in place, in one form or another, for more than a century, and is a feature of the westside. If I learned anything in 8 years at City Hall, there is plenty of money if something is a priority. Make it a priority.