St. Pete discovers ‘issue’ with $1.5 million Echelman sculpture

ST. PETERSBURG — City officials said there’s “an issue” with the aerial net sculpture being installed over the St. Pete Pier project.

City workers on Thursday started hanging the $1.5 million Bending Arc net sculpture that St. Petersburg commissioned artist Janet Echelman to create for the new pier. Mayoral spokesman Ben Kirby said the issue was discovered “in the early stages of installation.”

However, Kirby would not elaborate on the “issue” and did not release any other details about what the city discovered. He said Echelman and her team “are assessing it and working to resolve the issue.”

To fully install the net, workers will have to raise it, stretch it, lower it and then repeat the process several times. The process is scheduled to be complete in February. It was not known if the problem will delay installation of the project.

The sculpture is part of the 26-acre, $92 million St. Pete Pier project scheduled to open in the spring.