The St. Petersburg City Council has unanimously voted to explore a City-initiated historic designation for the Williams Park Bandshell. The structure, built in 1954, is a key part of the Williams Park Improvement Project, a collaboration between the City of St. Petersburg and the Williams Park Partnership.

Preserving History

Council member Gina Driscoll submitted the request, citing the bandshell’s importance to the city’s history. The current bandshell was designed by architect William B. Harvard and has hosted numerous events and notable figures, including former presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.

The Williams Park Bandshell is an iconic structure and the centerpiece of our City’s first park, Driscoll said. It was originally our city’s town square. The bandshell has been host to so many important events and people through the years that it is absolutely deserving of this recognition.

The renovations are moving along well and we expect that they will be completed in the next couple of months, Driscoll explained. The next step in this initiative, for me, was to propose a historic designation for the bandshell. Since this is a process that takes some time and I am nearing the end of my time on City Council, I wanted to put the wheels in motion now.

The item will be brought to the Housing, Land Use and Transportation Committee for further discussions. City staff will prepare a presentation about the bandshell’s impact, and Driscoll hopes that once the historic designation is confirmed, everyone will take the opportunity to come and enjoy the many performances that will be scheduled there.

Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.