St. Petersburg officials are considering a long-term plan to gradually replace many of the St. Pete Pier Marketplace’s temporary vendor tents with permanent kiosks, a proposal intended to improve the experience for both merchants and visitors.

The Pier Marketplace currently includes seven permanent kiosks and 21 tent spaces that house nearly 30 local businesses selling handcrafted goods, artwork, food products, flowers and other items. Under the proposal, the city would replace three tents with permanent kiosks each year, a process that could take approximately seven years to complete.

City officials say permanent kiosks would provide vendors with better protection from weather, additional storage space and a more consistent appearance throughout the marketplace. The proposal is also intended to reduce the amount of time vendors spend setting up and taking down their displays each day.

Some marketplace vendors have expressed support for the concept, saying permanent structures could make daily operations easier and improve the shopping experience. Others have raised concerns about preserving the St. Pete Pier’s open-air atmosphere and ensuring existing vendors have opportunities to move into the new kiosks as they are built.

The proposal was discussed by a City Council committee, but no final decision has been made. If approved, the kiosk conversion would occur in phases over several years as funding becomes available.

The St. Pete Pier Marketplace opened with the current pier in 2020 and serves as a retail destination for local small businesses near the entrance to the waterfront attraction.

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