ST. PETERSBURG — Nearly a month after architects informed city officials that the much-anticipated Pier project needed to be scaled back, council members appear divided on how to bridge the project's budget gap.

Council members were told Thursday that of the $20 million set aside for the pier approach — the span that links the Pier to downtown — only about $11 million is available. The Pier's original $50 million budget lost $4 million when an earlier version of the project was scrapped in 2013.

That looming money crunch has raised concerns about whether the Pier will dazzle or disappoint when it opens in 2018, splitting the council, the holder of the city's purse strings, into separate camps.

"We just need to finish the job, do something that at the end of it we're proud of what we built," said council member Karl Nurse, on behalf of a bloc that supports putting more money into the project. "I don't want to build a pier and strip away several of the elements people felt most strongly about."

Council member Steve Kornell took the opposite stance, saying enough money has been allocated to the project and no more should be spent.

"When you tell somebody that you can do something for a certain amount of money, I expect them to do that," Kornell said. "I am not sure that I'm going to vote for more money. The amount of money we had for this project was crystal clear."

For now at least, Kornell appears to be in the minority. Only one other council member pressed architects to be mindful of budget constraints.

"Just show me what we're going to get," Lisa Wheeler-Brown told one of the project's architects. "It's important for us to remain transparent. That's what residents want."

Jim Kennedy and Ed Montanari, who would create a deadlock if they joined Kornell, didn't reveal where they were leaning.

On the other side, Darden Rice, Charlie Gerdes and council Chair Amy Foster joined Nurse in voicing support for spending more money on the Pier if it meant preserving what was intended.

"I think we should leave no stone unturned to build the pier we anticipated," Gerdes said.

The designers of the pier approach, Barbara Wilks, founder and principal of W Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and Jason Jensen of Wannemacher Jensen, conceded that they were working with a tight budget. That's partly because at least $4.5 million was getting shifted to restaurants that will operate on the approach. Administrative costs eat up another $4 million, forcing the designers to downsize some of their original ideas.

Wilks, whose firm is based in Brooklyn, said residents repeated during meetings that they wanted the approach to have shade and a family friendly environment.

Wilks said the design team added ideas of its own, such as an adult area for shuffleboard near the proposed restaurant at the Pelican Parking Lot. A kids' play zone will be near the welcome plaza.

"We're not going to show anything that is going to be a representation of what we're not going to be able to build," city architect Raul Quintana said.

The issue had taken on greater significance because some elements of the new pier would not fit into its $46 billion budget. A water lounge and floating docks and boathouse will have to be dropped. A children's splash park will not be as fancy as had been planned and a part of a breakwater meant to protect Spa Beach also will be gone.

Some council members would like to see each restored and think money should be found to do so. The cost to bring them back is about $4 million.

"I think that's doable," Rice said.

Nurse said he has already spoken with Kriseman about the need to increase the budget. On Thursday, Kriseman said some financial adjustments could be made that may revive some of the elements that have been eliminated.

But he didn't provide specifics and stopped short of saying it would require more money.

Kornell was more clear. He said spending more on the project is the last option he would consider. He suggested taking money from the pier approach to make up the pier deficit.

"Going over budget is not something I am ready to do at this point," he said.

Still, despite the hand-wringing over costs, most residents who spoke Thursday said they applaud revisions made to the design.

A key supporter of the new pier is Concerned Citizens of St. Petersburg, the group that vigorously fought and defeated the last idea for the new pier and did not originally back the design from ASD and Rogers Partners Architects and Urban Designers.

"Public attention seems to be focused on the elements that have been deleted," said the group's president, Joe Letteleir. "Those of us who have seen the new plans note that there have been substantial additions and improvements that we would like to highlight and support."

Contact Waveney Ann Moore at wmoore@tampabay.com or (727) 892-2283. Follow @wmooretimes