Lens prospects looking dimmer as referendum date draws closer

And attention Jim Kennedy fans. The District 2 City Councilman, the only incumbent who had been running unopposed, now has a challenger in environmentalist Lorraine Margeson (or maybe not, as Mark Puente at the Times reported). The two candidates are in a statistical battle at 22 percent each, with the vast majority (56 percent) undecided.

But back to the Lens.

Voters who said they opposed the Michael Maltzan-designed structure were given six choices for why they are against the Lens. The top criticism? More than 35 percent said their opposition lies in the fact that they were not allowed to vote on the future of the Pier. The next closest choice, 18.5 percent, said they didn't like the design.

Of those who said they support the plan, 33.6 percent said it's because it reflects the strong focus on the arts in the community, followed by another 30 percent who said there will be lots to do at the new structure.

The folks at St. Pete Polls called 1524 people in their survey conducted Monday night.