New monument to greet visitors of St. Pete | News

St. Petersburg, Florida-- The City of St. Petersburg is proud to unveil its newest beacon of welcome to visitors from around the world.

Today, Mayor Bill Foster and members of City Council joined St. Petersburg resident and businessman Bill Edwards in formally unveiling the gleaming 75 foot structure that is visible from just over a mile away.

St. Petersburg has similar welcoming structures at the terminus of I-175 and I-375 downtown that were placed in 2004.

For this structure, Bill Edwards donated the $600,000 necessary for the monument, which took less than five months to complete. Built on a secure foundation, the stucco and sea blue monument is expected to easily withstand severe weather such as hurricanes and high-wind thunderstorms that Florida is known for.

Even at night, the tower is highly visible from a distance, illuminated by 18 250-watt, 100K hour-rated induction lights, four multi-fixture LED lights at the dome and 250 linear feet of LED illumination on cornices.

When asked why he felt compelled to help St. Petersburg by donating the tower, Bill Edwards replied, "The timing was right. In addition to exponentially increasing tourism in Central Florida, the upcoming Republican National Convention will be bringing tens of thousands of visitors from other states to our beautiful waterfront city. Now and in the future, we must project the image of a diverse, exciting, economically refreshed St. Petersburg, and the tower is an impressive beacon of that image."

Release courtesy of the City of St. Petersburg