Organizers say they have a better and cheaper design for the St. Petersburg Pier

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - When you think of St. Petersburg you think of the landmark pier. The upside down pyramid was built in 1926. But now city leaders want to replace the aging building with a new design called, The Lens.

The Lens will cost taxpayers at least $50 million dollars and one local group, VOTEONTHEPIER.com says that's too much. They want to save money and overhaul the current building.

"Gut the inverted pyramid, add all new glass, wiring and plumbing," says VOTEONTHEPIER.com Chairman Tom Lambdon. "It would be a brand new structure, essentially.

Lambdon says their plan, drawn up by a local architect, would also preserve the approximately 450 jobs already at the pier. Jobs he says would disappear if the city builds The Lens.

"The economic impact directly for those business owners and employees is devastating to simply tear it down," says Lambdon.

Residents have mixed views. Says one, "The Lens, why the Lens? Just because it's something different. It shows progress for St. Petersburg."

But another resident wasn't as supportive, "That might be a possibility but I don't know if you would want to mess with anything that works."

Lambdon wants voters to choose the next design so he's circulating a petition to put the issue on the ballot. If he collects 15,000 signatures, people in St. Petersburg would get to vote.

"Every taxpayer is going to be on the hook for this long term and that's all the more reason they need to have the final say about what happens," says Lambdon.

A final say to preserve the history of a sight that's near to the heart of people in St. Petersburg. A rally will be held Saturday February 11 at 6 p.m. for a petition singing on the 3rd floor of the Pier.