City touts Glazer ties to St. Pete in Pier sign debate
October 9, 2020 - The St. Petersburg City Council has approved an 30-year agreement with the Glazer Vision Foundation, which is making a $1.5 million donation to the city for naming rights for the playground at the St. Pete Pier. The foundation was established by the Glazer family, which owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneer as well as the Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Club, said Alan DeLisle, city development administrator in stressing the family's ties to St. Petersburg. On Thursday night, Council Vice Chairman Gina Driscoll repeated the concerns she initially raised last week about the size, location and theme of the sign. Chris Ballestra, director of enterprise facilities, said the sign is smaller than other Pier signage and located at a spot that makes it easy to maintain. The sign displays children running, which matches the theme of the playground, Ballestra said. The naming rights revenue offsets city costs of operating the Pier, DeLisle said. DeLisle expects to bring additional deals for naming rights at the Pier to the City Council.