The Benoist Centennial Plaza

Community Outreach


PHIL GRAHAM LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE is honored to have had the opportunity to provide complimentary professional services to numerous local organizations in its 50-year history with the purpose of advancing our community's enrichment of outdoor environments that elevate the experience for all.


The firm provided lead design services on behalf of the Flight 2014, Inc. organization to construct an outdoor plaza memorializing the world's first scheduled commercial airline that departed from downtown St. Petersburg and arrived minutes later in Tampa on January 1st in 1914.


Mark Aeling, a local and nationally-recognized artist designed and constructed a full-size replica of the airboat that is the center piece of the plaza. Display of historical photographs and original newspaper reports help bring the story of the Benoist's historic event to life.


The Benoist Centennial Plaza is open and located on the historic site at the new St. Pete Pier. Phil Graham Landscape Architecture is honored to have been selected to participate in the realization of a tribute to one of St. Petersburg's most significant historical events that garnered world-wide publicity in January of 1914.