ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Petersburg City Council approved spending $1.4 million on Thursday to demolish the Jungle Prada Park Pier, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene, but residents worry it won’t be replaced because there’s no plan in place.
“At this point, we have a lot of concerns about should this pier come down, what happens with no plan to move forward on paper first?” said Juliana Fisher, Jungle Prada Neighborhood Association president. “We’re really concerned about the timeline and the potential challenges in the future.”
Helene’s storm surge in September 2024 left many of the wooden pier planks buckled, with a few completely washed out in a section near the end. Some of the wooden pilings below, which support the structure, were also bent in the wave action from the storm…