Art Museum In Old Courthouse Opens Vista Of Possibilities

The Tampa tribune Editorial
Published: Apr 24, 2005

It takes a moment to reorient the mind away from building a stylish new Tampa Museum of Art along Ashley Drive, but if you step back and look at what's happening downtown, you'll see the possibilities that come from converting the old federal courthouse into a new home for the museum.
At the moment, two ideas are percolating to replace the extravagant Vinoly design scrapped in March because the museum couldn't secure the bank loan needed to build it.

One proposal would be to build a new but scaled-down museum in Kiley Gardens, immediately adjacent to the NationsBank ``round building'' on the river.

At present, this rundown park of overgrown trees and concrete squares looks more like a cemetery than a place where people would enjoy the outdoors. Clearly, it needs a fresh face.

But placing the museum at Kiley Gardens would isolate it from foot traffic in a city center that is sprouting condos in new and redeveloped buildings. It's worth noting that the lack of pedestrian traffic at the museum's present site has hurt attendance.

Also, the round building's underground parking garage, which lies below the garden, would have to be preserved, which means increased construction costs and approvals from the building's new owners.


Resurrect A Relic

The second proposal - to gut the old federal courthouse and reshape it in the likeness of a museum - is far superior, with one condition: The city and museum board must ensure the stately 1905 building, vacant for seven years, won't become a money pit.

A previous inspection of the old courthouse, which the city acquired two years ago for $1, raised concerns about asbestos and mold. Mayor Pam Iorio and museum board chairwoman Cornelia Corbett were right to order a thorough inspection before proceeding with discussions.

One cost estimate runs between $20 million and $25 million for repairs, plus $10 million to make the building suitable for museum use. A price tag in the ballpark of $35 million doesn't touch the $368-per-square-foot price attached to the $76 million Vinoly project.

The museum could use the leftover money to buy more art, which, after all, is what drives museum attendance. The mayor is right to ask the museum board to focus equal attention on growing an endowment - initially $10 million - to attract exhibits and grow its collection. The museum presently has little money for acquisitions and is running in the red because of poor attendance.

For the project, the city is committing $20 million, less than before because it already spent $6.7 million with Vinoly. Half the money would go to refurbish the museum, the other half to build a nearby parking garage.

The mayor also plans to lower the city's annual subsidy from $2 million to $1 million, which makes sense for a smaller building in a city with many needs.

Still, some members of the museum's board are having trouble getting over the loss of the Vinoly project and are resistant to moving forward. After accusing the mayor of being too cautious, now they say she is moving too fast and cares more about the city than the museum. They also point out that the history museum didn't want the building, which was too big for its needs.

Angry eyes have made some of these well-meaning folks shortsighted.


More Potential For Riverfront

There is much to like about this proposal.

First, the courthouse is a beautiful, stately building reminiscent of classic museums in Northern cities. The building would double the size of the museum and give it a prime spot in an urban neighborhood on the rise.

Within a two-block radius, six condo projects are in the works. And last week the new owner of the nearby Floridan announced plans to restore it as a high- end hotel.

Second, the proposal would open the Ashley vista to the minarets of the University of Tampa. The current building, a modern design that hasn't withstood its 26-year test of time, would be torn down. So, too, would its underground parking garage, which elevates the land and blocks the street-level view of UT.

In its place would be an expansive park that at its heart should have something not yet discussed: a statuesque fountain with a public square and wading pool. Done right, a grand fountain could become a Tampa icon and a gathering place for people celebrating events such as the Bucs' Super Bowl win.

Third, the proposal would wrap the Poe Garage with low-rise buildings housing restaurants and shops on the ground floor, condos up above. The city would lease the land to developers and use the money to build the park and, depending on how much is left over, re- create Ashley into a grand boulevard and Zack Street into an avenue of the arts.

Commercial development around the Poe Garage, an idea first raised by a citizens group that developed a plan for the Ashley area, is essential to the success of the Riverwalk, a project that will create a 2.5-mile ribbon of sidewalk along the Hillsborough from the Channelside area to the North Boulevard bridge.

Without nearby restaurants and shops, the Riverwalk will have a hard time attracting users. For proof, look at who now uses the green space along Ashley: hardly anyone, except for a few homeless people.


Fill Board Vacancies

It's time for the museum board to move beyond emotion and get down to business. The mayor is right to appoint an interim director who can bring focus and create a positive relationship with the city.

The board, for its part, should move quickly to fill its seven open seats. That means changing arbitrary rules about making appointments only in October. And it should eliminate the $1,500 entry fee to join the board. Such a requirement may be affordable to those members who live in Avila, but it excludes people from most city neighborhoods.

The courthouse proposal isn't about putting the city above the museum. Visionaries can see that this is not an either-or choice. It's a win-win opportunity that would place the museum in a grand building in a bubbling part of downtown and give a huge boost to the heart of the city.

the conversion could work... they did a similar thing in Orlando with the History Museum a few years ago.

I actually like the idea of a unique "signature" fountain for Tampa mentioned in this article.

There's a park in Kansas City, MO on the Plaza about the same size as Curtis Hixon would be (minus the current Art Museum) and they have a beautiful classic fountain that looks like something you would find in Rome or Madrid - http://www.americaswonderlands.com/images/KC/PAN20_22mod3-FilteredMODSharp-web.jpg

Chicago has some interesting fountains at Millenium Park and Grant Park. Atlanta has the interactive Olympic Park fountains built into their Olympic "rings." These are not only tourist draws, but also gathering spots for locals to soak in the sun, read, play with the kids, etc.

A riverfront fountain in DT Tampa could add interest to the planned Riverwalk and both projects could play off each other, along with the planned Children's Museum next door. This could really be a nice addition to downtown if some effort, planning and money was put into it.

well..a riverfront fountain can also end up being a giant bathtub, so you can gaze out from your room at the four star floridan onto bums showering.

^Just electrify the water. problem solved. :D

Oh, yea of so much faith- there will be no "classic" fountain for Tampa, just some silly fountain made by some artist who is fashionable today and whose work will be dated five years after it is enstalled.

They have never learned that you need a basis of art in a language people understand and instinctively like and relate to before you toss in a bunch of allegedly avant-garde stuff or else it looks like the set of Logan's Run.

^The set of Logan's Run 'tastefully' placed in a riverfront park would be a smash hit here, who are you kidding? :D

http://vakuumtv.c3.hu/collection/robotfilm/logans_run.gifhttp://www.musicweb-international.com/film/2002/May02/Logans_Run.jpg

Trivia - they are planning to do a remake of the crap-o-rific 70's sci fi cult classic next year. Bryan Singer, director of the first two X Men movies, will be directing.

Maybe they'll let Farah reprise her role....

Ah, this is exactly what they need to complement the chicken - You know they will choose this thing

http://vakuumtv.c3.hu/collection/robotfilm/logans_run.gif

Trivia Question: who played the female lead in the original Logan's Run ?

Flhawk -- so that's confirmed as SInger's next project after Superman?

I thought he was in pre-production of Logan's Run when Warner came calling and he went running -- dropping both Logan's Run and X-3 from his schedule.

Sorry to take this off topic :-/

Ah, this is exactly what they need to complement the chicken - You know they will choose this thing



I still have no clue why people call that thing a "chicken". It looks NOTHING like a chicken IMO.... I had to write a paper about that sculpture last year for school (well about DT public art). I feel that it looks like a horse more than anything... The whole point of the sculpture was to simply be organic in form, to counter the stark geometry of the Collonade's atrium and tower. I think it worked wonderfully.

Dale - Jenny Agutter, who went on to play the love interest/nurse in "American Werewolf in London." (great flic)

John - I've read that Singer did drop X3 when he accepted the job on Superman, but he's still attached to the Logan's Run remake.

I'm sure I will be disappointed later, but I'm holding out hope that this will turn into a nice park (Curtis Hixon/art museum area) that more than just Tampa's downtown homeless population will use and enjoy. Hopeless optimist, I guess.

I'd like to see a grand fountain similar to what you'd see is Chicago, Paris, Rome, even DC. Something with some classic style..NOTHING MODERN. While all of these cities have modern fountains they also have classic versions as well. I'm thinking concrete and bronze with the statue in the center at leat 30-40 feet high. I'm picturing a bronze Pam Iorio on a chariot of fire leading the City of Tampa into the promised land ( :jk: of course but something of that nature).

The fountain should be in the waterfront park at the end of the Arts Blvd. As you come down the Arts Blvd. looking down the canyon of buildings (we can only hope), the fountain would be the focal point like the white tower you see when you look east on Market Street in San Fran.

Instead of spending millions on crap that will need to be dismateled in 10 years lets do a classic centerpeice that will never go out of fashion.

I think you need to put the "exploding" in front of chicken to get teh reference . . but anyway, it is all subjective.

I too would liek to see a classic fountain - I don't care what refernce they make in the sculpture - Teddy Roosevelt, Dolphins, whatever . . . jsut a classic item.

And here is a thought - email the county commission and mayor. I have put the links a bunch of times, but will put them here if I need to - let me know.

How about The Donald pay to put a statue of that apprentice in the fountain and then pay him $250k to clean the thing. Or would this be too much for him? Seriously, a classic and timeless fountain would be great!

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/29/tpa-downtown/tpa-dwntwn.gif

Iorio sees courthouse at the end of Arts Avenue
In the mayor's plan, even garbage cans will have an artistic edge, and Zack Street would get a new name.
By JANET ZINK and BILL VARIAN
Published April 29, 2005
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/29/images/large/B_1_tpmuseum1_213275_0429.jpg
MAYOR'S MUSE: A rendering of Pam Iorio's idea to house the Tampa Museum of Art in the old federal courthouse building and creating an "arts avenue" that extends to the riverfront. The view shown is from steps of the courthouse, looking out onto Florida Avenue.
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/29/images/large/B_1_tpcourth2_212885_0429.jpg
AVANT GARDE OR STOLID? Can the old federal courthouse become a museum? Tampa Museum of Art board vice chairman Alan Ciamporcero says, "The real question will be, can you make that old building into an interesting avant garde art space?"

TAMPA - Mayor Pam Iorio on Thursday presented to City Council her idea for housing the Tampa Museum of Art in the old federal courthouse and creating an Arts Avenue with the museum at one end and a waterfront park at the other.

In the weeks since financing problems dashed plans for a $76-million museum on Ashley Drive, Iorio said she has visited Curtis Hixon Park dozens of times.

"It is one of the most desolate, unattractive and unfriendly pieces of public land I have ever seen," Iorio said. "We have the ability to transform this desolate and unused waterfront into a spectacular park for our public."

The plan calls for turning the old courthouse into an art museum, building a 500-space parking garage on the southwest corner of Florida Avenue and Polk Street, and putting landscaping and public art on Zack Street all the way to the river.

Iorio said she'd like to consider changing the name of Zack Street, which honors U.S. President Zachary Taylor, to Arts Avenue.

Iorio sees an area where everything from the new parking garage to the street lights, sidewalks and garbage cans have an artsy edge. "We can take the mundane and turn it into something special," she said.

The avenue would lead to a river walk planned to extend from Tampa Heights to the Channel District and provide a link between the art museum and the Hillsborough River, downtown's biggest natural asset.

Razing the existing art museum would create an unobstructed view of the river and the University of Tampa minarets from downtown.

While city officials complete a 30-day study of costs to turn the old courthouse into a museum, administrators will prepare a request to developers interested in building residences and shops at the edges of the riverfront park.

Mark Huey, the county's economic development administrator, estimates selling off development rights on the fringes of the new park could raise more than $20-million. That money could be used to create a premier park ringed by sidewalk cafes to make over Ashley Drive, one of downtown's main gateways.

"Just imagine all of that open, and the vista down to the University of Tampa," said Huey on a recent walking tour, pausing to do some imagining. "Stunning."

Iorio said she'd like to see a development proposal incorporating the new Children's Museum, fulfilling a city promise to give its backers a home there and also masking the ugly concrete wall of the Poe parking garage.

Private-sector investment is key to the plan's success, Iorio said. Developers already have shown a keen interest in building homes downtown.

"It's transforming right before our very eyes from a business and government center to a neighborhood where people will live," Iorio said.

Iorio said she wants to change Zack Street and other downtown thoroughfares into two-way streets to slow traffic.

The city has $20-million for construction of a new museum, and the museum's previous fund-raising efforts generated $47-million.

Iorio said the city will contribute $1-million to operating costs of a new museum, half of the previous commitment. However, she said, the museum could use revenues generated from a new parking garage and rental of its ground floor retail spaces to help offset the cut.

"It's important for every nonprofit to be able to deliver their services to the public without government support," Iorio said.

City Council members returned Iorio's enthusiasm Thursday.

"I hear the passion and excitement in your voice and it excites me, too," Mary Alvarez said.

"The courthouse is a perfect place for the museum," said Rose Ferlita.

"We're with you 100 percent," said chairwoman Gwen Miller.

Tampa Museum of Art board vice chairman Alan Ciamporcero was less effusive.

The demise of the previous museum project after years of planning "was a real difficult moment for the board. They worked very, very hard for a very, very long time," he said after the mayor's talk.

Putting that same energy behind the courthouse idea will depend on what can be done with the building.

"The real question will be can you make that old building into an interesting avant garde art space," he said. "We've got to turn it into something people can get jazzed about."

Supporters of a new Tampa Bay History Center have previously explored the possibility of using the old courthouse for its home. But backers quickly concluded that it didn't have enough parking, enough foot-traffic for spontaneous visits and might cost too much to bring up to museum standards.

History Center backers are working with a more modest budget of $17-million to build a new home on land donated by the city at Cotanchobee-Fort Brooke Park near the Channel District, part of the original settlement of Tampa.

"Under our present agreement, we have perhaps more resources at hand than they did at the time," said museum board chairwoman Cornelia Corbett. "We've got to go through this study to see if the courthouse can be brought up to museum standards."

[Last modified April 29, 2005, 00:48:13]
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The Mayor's office is completely off thier rocker.

The concept is nice, but it's looking like the details and eventual execution of this would be a total letdown. The plan as it relates to the Poe garage, park, courthouse and the Collonade's parking structure sucks.

btw Smiley, I moved your post into here, which is the proper thread.

That's cool - I couldn't decide between the plethora of threads.

As for the plan - at least there are some lots to be redeveloped on zack - but the park - unless they really do something good (which I doubt) will be quite lame - here's an idea:

Lets make the park sidewalks in the shape of various local leaves so that from the sky they look neat, but, in fact, on the ground they loop around aimlessly making any wanlk through the "park" a/k/a field of grass tedious and indirect and keeping people away from the river . . .

oh, wait . . . we already did that . . .

Ok, I'm out of ideas.

I think they're getting a little ahead of themselves with these labels (Arts Avenue, Art District). One museum does not a district make. And how do you mandate "Arts" Avenue with no galleries currently in place on Zack, or even in the planning stages? It seems a little forced.

If that's where the museum's new home will be, then make it the best home (outside and inside) that we can. Encourage other businesses like galleries, public art, etc. but stay away from these cheesy labels unless it could truly qualify as a "district" that actively and visibly supports the arts.

Indeed. You are comprehensively correct. Just do it and see what happens. Stop talking about it.

Are they ever going to tear down that poe parking garage. If they truely want a water front park, I don't see why they don't tear down that garage. Zach Street looks like it would be exactly in the middle of the park if the garage was not there.

Uh, no . . and if they tear it down there will be a railroad track running through the middle of the park.

Museum needs leadership, but not mayor's

By LENNIE BENNETT, St Pete Times Staff Writer
Published May 9, 2005

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The Tampa Museum of Art begins a new chapter of its expansion story, a saga that began 25 years ago with an inadequate building that only got worse. Who knows when or how it will end?

Once again, the focus is on the building, not on more fundamental problems besetting the museum. But since the building seems to be the topic du jour, let's dish it up.

The flashy, $76-million contemporary behemoth designed by Raphael Vinoly, which was to have been built on the riverfront site of the present museum, has been ditched. The "new" new museum being championed by Mayor Pam Iorio is the old federal courthouse, a stately pile several blocks from the river on Zack Street. Relocating the museum to the courthouse would neatly accomplish her urban agenda, freeing up the riverfront for more public park space, employing a historic building for public use and creating a core arts attractor within downtown rather than on its periphery.

I was prepared to dislike the courthouse. After a tour, I admit it has potential, with lots of high-ceilinged, generously proportioned courtrooms that could be turned into galleries. There are caveats.

The most important is whether the building, which would have to be pretty much gutted, can be brought up to 21st century museum standards - a far more complex proposition than simply making it habitable for standard commercial use. It has about 100,000 square feet, enough though a little less than the first design. But a facility built for legal proceedings may not be suitable for state-of-the-art conservation and curatorial areas and the educational components good museums need. A committee of architects, planners and museum folks is investigating the feasibility of a renovation and should have a report in a month or so. The makeover won't be worth doing unless it's done right; otherwise, Tampa will repeat the mistakes it has made over the years with the museum's current building. And to do it right will cost a lot of money, maybe more than a new building of similar size.

Another issue with the site is the inelegant solution proposed for parking. The idea is to build several decks, with retail businesses on the ground level, one block down and across Florida Avenue, a busy, four-lane road that could make accessibility frustrating, though not insurmountable.

So that's where we are with the building.

But where are we with the museum?

In a pretty bad place.

Director Emily Kass, who resigned last month, has taken a lot of the flak for the problems at the Tampa museum. But a director takes her cues from a museum's board of trustees. They are the ones who must shoulder past errors in judgment.

The trustees miscalculated the mood of City Hall and underestimated Iorio, who inherited the museum plan from a previous administration and seemed determined to remake it in her own vision.

The new mayor paid lip service to the waterfront design, but, had she been a true supporter, Iorio would have cheered from the sidelines, encouraging donors and bankers in their efforts to come up with financial guarantees. Instead, she seemed to present obstacles at every opportunity.

Iorio had every right to insert herself into the process that eventually doomed the Vinoly design. We have only to look at the example of the Milwaukee Museum of Art, which is just beginning to recover after many years from a $24-million debt incurred during an expansion featuring a beautiful addition by another A-list architect, Santiago Calatrava. Or the Bellevue Art Museum outside Seattle, which opened a new, $23-million building in 2001 and closed two years later. Like the Tampa Museum of Art, both were undercapitalized. The Tampa museum has a paltry $2-million endowment, about one-tenth what it should have for its planned growth.

The city owns the museum and, as Iorio said in a recent interview, she has ultimate oversight of its management, including the power to hire and fire its director. Facilitating, mediating and overseeing are good. Meddling is not, and that appears to be what the mayor is approaching.

The museum has a board of trustees whose members were chosen for their commitment to the museum's mission. As with all such boards, some members are influential community leaders there more for their rainmaking ability than aesthetic judgment. But most of the trustees have a deep love of the arts and have been involved with the museum or other arts-related organizations for years.

The mayor has said she did not visit the museum once before her election and doesn't know much about its collections beyond "the Greek artifacts and things."

So why is she interviewing potential interim directors, a responsibility that has in the past been the role of a committee organized by trustees? Her wish to choose someone who would lead a multimillion-dollar campaign to raise money for the endowment shows her naivete. Endowment money is the hardest kind to raise, and asking an interim director, who is essentially a short-term caretaker, to do so is unrealistic and unfair. And to whom would that director report? The mayor or the board?

Iorio also wants to expand the board, adding members chosen by, and presumably loyal to, her. Never mind that expanding it violates the museum's bylaws, which limit the board's size; it also could create resentment and discord within a group that, more than ever, needs to work for a unified new vision.

Board president Cornelia Corbett is presenting a stoic, strong face to the public, gamely touring the courthouse site, "keeping an open mind" and obviously struggling to hold the board and donors together. Most of them probably feel demoralized and disillusioned. This should have been a time of joy for the trustees, who spent years raising an unprecedented amount of money for a building that will never be built.

It's easy to say now that they should have diversified their efforts, encouraging Kass to mount more compelling exhibitions and finding the funding for her to do so, and pursuing potential donors who could give great art to the museum, not just great checks.

But the story's still unfolding, and the trustees can regroup and quiet critics with a few bold moves. Any group capable of raising $47-million can do other great things. A long-range plan at this point is a waste of time. They should announce new donations of art; at least one major one has been promised, though for unknown reasons the museum has refused to make it public. They should scrounge funding to bring in a few exceptional exhibitions over the next several years and announce them soon. Both would create news, good news, beyond the woeful building tale.

A new museum will not be a big driver of downtown revitalization. The Museum of Fine Arts, a very successful museum, was in downtown St. Petersburg for 40 years without generating collateral development. Only after major residential buildings rose did the downtown really wake up.

That will happen in Tampa, and soon, with or without a museum. So the mayor should back off. Stop rushing the process. Refuse to settle for something convenient or merely adequate for a museum. And give the trustees a chance to do what they were chosen to do: lead the museum. They are people who labor for no greater compensation than personal satisfaction and philanthropic goodwill, both gifts as precious as money or art. It's the mayor's job to create a climate that nurtures, not squanders, those gifts.

Two museum sites back on the table
The old federal courthouse isn't the only possibility. Two additional sites are being considered.
By JANET ZINK, Times Staff Writer
Published May 28, 2005

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TAMPA - City officials are dusting off an old plan for a downtown cultural arts district in their search for a new home for the Tampa Museum of Art.

A study on the feasibility of turning the old federal courthouse into an art museum is already under way. But that study has been expanded to include two additional sites near the Hillsborough River, including one first suggested in 2000 by Chicago urban design team Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.

Analyzing the two additional sites will double the cost of the study to $76,000, which the museum is splitting with the city. Results of the study are due by the end of June.

"It's the intent to go ahead and consider all of the sites so they can be compared one to the other," said Steve Daignault, administrator for public works and utilities.

The two additional sites under consideration are just north of the Bank of America cubes, close to the current museum site.

One option is to build a museum stretching north along Ashley Drive, a plan that would follow the southern end of a design previously offered by reknowned architect Rafael Vinoly. His 150,000-square-foot proposal fizzled in April cause of financing problems.

The other option, suggested in the Skidmore study, would call for a shotgun-style building that would open up the view of the Hillsborough River and the University of Tampa minarets on the other side.

The study will compare the cost of renovating the 100,000-square-foot historic courthouse on Florida Avenue with the cost of building a new structure with the same square footage.

Last month, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio unveiled her vision for transforming the old courthouse into an art museum, building a 500-space parking garage on the southwest corner of Florida Avenue and Twiggs Street, and putting landscaping and public art on Zack Street all the way to the river to form an Arts Avenue.

This week Iorio said she wanted to have other options in place if the courthouse idea proves unsound.

"It's a good thing to extend this feasibility study because the courthouse is 100,000 square feet, and to compare it to another apple we need to look at something that would be 100,000 square feet," said Cornelia Corbett, chairwoman of the museum's board of directors. "Otherwise the only thing we have to compare it to is the Vinoly design, and that's a big difference."

Skidmore's 5-year-old proposal outlined a cultural arts district anchored by an art museum and a history museum between Ashley Drive and the river. The proposal also suggested a river walk, which has become a priority for Iorio.

Sandy Rief, trustee of the Duckwall Foundation that contributed $225,000 to the Skidmore study, said he's glad to see it's getting a second look.

"Real thought went into that," he said. "There was citizen input, community leader input. That's what we need. It wasn't just a bunch of folks that were on the board of a museum or some other organization. There were people from all the diverse communities in Tampa."

Furthermore, he doesn't like the idea of using the courthouse for the museum.

"It's a 100-year-old building, and once you get done retrofitting it you still have a 100-year-old building," he said. "If you live in an old house like I do, you know that won't work."

Janet Zink can be reached at 813 226-3401 or jzink@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 28, 2005, 00:08:13]
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More about the Art museum...

Pros, Cons Weighed For New Museum
By ELLEN GEDALIUS and AMANDA HENRY The Tampa Tribune
Published: Jun 30, 2005




TAMPA - Transforming the old federal courthouse into a new home for the Tampa Museum of Art could be the least expensive of three possible locations, but it also could be the most complicated option.
The courthouse on Florida Avenue is too small to accommodate plans for a new museum, and there is no way to add to the historic 1905 structure, according to a study released Wednesday. The building is too small for an auditorium, is saddled with mold and asbestos, and is too small for both a library and an education gallery.

Still, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has her mind set on the courthouse. An addition could be built, she said, possibly alleviating space constraints.

That alternative was among those outlined in a $75,000 study that listed the benefits and disadvantages of placing the art museum in the courthouse; constructing a building on Ashley Drive and Twiggs Street; and building a museum on Ashley and Zack Street.

``When we first brought up the idea of the federal courthouse, many were very skeptical, that it was cost-prohibitive,'' Iorio said. ``I do believe the federal courthouse is still a very viable option for the new museum. It helps by bringing a cultural institution into the heart of downtown.''

It also best meshes with her vision to turn Zack Street into an ``arts avenue'' and line riverfront land along Ashley Drive with small-scale residential development, parks and restaurants.

Asked whether she embraced any of the other options, she said, ``Not particularly.''

Some museum board members, however, continue to have concerns about the courthouse, preferring to put the museum along the Hillsborough River.

``One of the things I've said all along is that I think it's sad if you have to gut what's special about the courthouse to put an art museum there,'' said Cornelia Corbett, museum board chairwoman.

The three-quarter-inch- thick study, paid for by the city and Tampa Museum of Art, made no recommendations.

It is, however, the latest chapter in the creation of a new home for the art museum. Plans for a new, grandiose museum near the river collapsed when fundraisers could not secure $40 million in construction loans. The city already had spent $6.7 million on a design by renowned architect Rafael Vinoly.

Within weeks of the deal's demise, museum director Emily Kass resigned. Her boss, Wendy Ceccherelli, resigned four days later.

That same week, Iorio and Economic Development Administrator Mark Huey unveiled their plans for the arts district.

The eight-week study initially was to consider whether the courthouse could become an art museum. The study later expanded - and the price doubled - to analyze two other locations. Pete Karamitsanis, of architectural firm HDR Inc., led the consulting team, which included architects, museum planners and engineers.

The city and art museum have spent about $7.2 million on studies and design costs for a new building.


Courthouse Concept

Putting the museum in the courthouse preserves the 1905 building. The building has plenty of natural light, an attractive lobby, a grand atrium and an impressive grand entry. Transforming the courthouse into a museum also could spur development downtown, the study suggests.

In addition to the space limitations, another impediment to construction could be the building's status on the National Register of Historic Places. Certain changes to the building would require state and federal approval, which could delay construction and increase costs.

Construction costs could total about $26 million, about $9 million less than the next cheapest option. Construction costs don't include architectural and design fees or a parking garage. Costs are estimated in 2007 dollars.

Consultants also considered renovating the 1905 building but replacing the 1931 addition. The addition is in poor condition, with uneven floors and deteriorating windows.

Under one plan, the city and art officials could replace the 1931 building with a five-story addition, but there still would be no room for a library or auditorium.

That plan would cost about $35 million.

If the city and art officials built a six-story addition, the building would have more room for galleries and art, but the structure might seem out of place with the smaller, 1905 building. Consultants estimated construction costs at $43 million.

Iorio has said the city would contribute $20 million for the museum and a parking garage across from the courthouse. The museum board would have to raise the remaining money.


Other Options

Iorio said the city remains committed to a $1 million annual operating subsidy.

She also said if an option other than the courthouse is chosen, she still wants to create an arts avenue along Zack and open the space along Ashley to development - both commercial and residential - and parks.

Other options include:

* A five-story museum parallel to Ashley, bordered by Madison Street to the south and extending beyond Twiggs Street to the north. Space would be available for an auditorium, museum store and education facilities.

The plans don't include on- site parking, and the long, narrow design isn't ideal for exhibiting art. Building over Twiggs could be expensive.

* A three-story building stretching toward the river from Ashley and Zack. A 116- space parking garage would be part of the site.

The museum would have room to expand and plenty of space for a store, auditorium and classrooms, but the parking garage could limit development in the area.

Museum board member Sara Richter said she is reluctant to put the museum in the courthouse.

``My gut feeling is I'd like to see us on the water,'' Richter said. ``My problem with the courthouse is the parking. I'd rather spend on the museum than on the parking garage.''

Board member Hal Flowers liked the idea of putting the museum at Ashley and Zack.

``It makes sense because it's real easy to do,'' Flowers said. Corbett said she prefers sites that allow space for a cafe, meeting rooms and a store - amenities that make money.

``One of the things that I'm keyed in on is the fact that we need to keep our income drivers,'' Corbett said. ``The gallery space is why you're there, but our programs go beyond that.''


Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or

Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedalius@tampatrib.com. Reporter Amanda Henry can be reached at (813) 259-7569 or ahenry@tampatrib.com.

http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGBZXPSHKAE.html

^^ I like the courthouse plan too.

It helps fill a nice building that is vaccant, It is about 1 block away from franklin street, it opens up a huge lot where the old museum was for more projects right on the river, also includes making Zack and Ashley more friendly roads, and is more centrally located in Downtown/Channelside.

The courthouse doesn't give me enough incentive to visit to "my" art museum. Unless they manage some Van Gogh's or something.

Another miss for Tampa. A courthouse without enough room for an auditorium, library, bookstore etc. will be a failure. People and families now demand more than the purpose of the building itself to attract them. Seattle's new library offers more than just books. It is a place for social gatherings, a quiet refuge from the city, another venue for recreation on the weekends. Tampa cannot take a hint.

Disappointed I am.

I just hope they get on with it, before donors get so fed up, that the whole plan is just scrapped. It's not like this museum is the only gig in town.

City wants public's say on new site for art museum

St Petersburg Times
By ANNE ARSENAULT
Published July 8, 2005

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DOWNTOWN - The results of a study into possible sites for the new Tampa Museum of Art are in and the city wants your feedback.

Meetings to discuss the findings and gather information are from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Tampa Convention Center and from 6 to 8 p.m. July 20 at the Jaeb Theater of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Information collected at the meetings will help determine the most suitable location for the new museum. The city is considering relocating the museum to the old federal courthouse on Florida Avenue or building a new museum near the current location on Ashley Drive.

For information, visit www.tampamuseum.com or call 274-8130.

^^^ And it looks like the first of those meetings were screwed up. :no:

Museum Location Remains A Tossup
By ELLEN GEDALIUS egedalius@tampatrib.com
Published: Jul 15, 2005




TAMPA - At the first public meeting about where to put the new art museum, the mayor didn't attend, public input was halted, a former mayor threatened to come out of retirement and a plan not even considered by the city or art museum officials generated the most attention.
Mayor Pam Iorio has said she strongly backs putting the new Tampa Museum of Art in the old federal courthouse on Florida Avenue. Consultants hired by the city and art museum examined two alternatives: constructing a building on Ashley Drive and Twiggs Street and building a museum on Ashley and Zack Street.

Consultant Pete Karamitsanis detailed for the dozens of people attending Thursday's meeting the pros, cons and costs of each option. One person criticized him for not including costs associated with creating parking, saying it wasn't an ``apples-to-apples comparison.''

Karamitsanis, who was paid $76,000 for his work, replied: ``I would tell you that they're all fruit.''

Then Terry Neal, a public access advocate, said he wanted to comment. Karamitsanis said he wanted to answer questions before taking comments. Neal stormed out.

Several people later pointed out the meeting was supposed to run until 8 p.m. Shortly after 7 p.m., however, the question- and-answer session ended.

``This is not a public hearing,'' City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena said. ``In a public hearing, you hear from the public.''

Ellen Brown said that no microphones were available for the public.

``At a public meeting, the public is given an opportunity to stand up,'' Brown said. ``There was no exchange of ideas.''

Museum board member Sara Richter was upset Iorio didn't show up.

``Can I invite the mayor to our next open forum meeting on the 20th?'' Richter said. ``I think that will be very helpful to all of us.''

Iorio could not be reached Thursday night.

The city and art museum officials offered no handouts detailing the sites for the public, but a new group, Young Architects Resisting Destruction Of Public Spaces, greeted people with maps of its idea: a museum on Ashley between Twiggs and Zack.

The group is opposed to building over Kiley gardens, located between the 400 North Ashley building and the current museum.

``This seems to be a much better design suggestion than any of the suggestions your group came up with,'' Sandy Rief, a Tampa lawyer, told Karamitsanis.

Philip Crosby, who is involved in the young architects group, said moving the museum into the courthouse would curtail the museum's ability to make money because there would be little room for a cafe and museum store.

``You're essentially cutting the legs out from the museum before it's even built,'' Crosby said. The crowd applauded.

After the meeting, former Mayor Sandy Freedman said the museum belongs on the waterfront.

``When we start selling waterfront land for development, I'm coming out of retirement,'' she said. ``It would be a crime to screw up the waterfront more than we already have. I hope the mayor rethinks her position that the courthouse is where it's going.''

The next meeting is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.


Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

http://tampatrib.com/floridametronews/MGBKAN0W5BE.html

I am unsure what makes anyone think that the administration is actually interested in anyone's opinion. . . They have to have meetings, but I don't think they care what you have to say - unless there is such a groundswell that they can't resist it - then they will say that is why they had the meetings.

Wrong museum/wrong building.

In Steve Otto's column in this morning's Trib, he mentions that the consultant's report on the courthouse says that the facility will never be able to hold exhibits; it would only be used for offices, etc. They would have to build a new facility on the back of the courthouse for the actual art and artifacts.

Given this info - if accurate - I guess the courthouse makes no sense at all.

The museum situation is going from bad to worse...

Shoot,

I guess Tampa will not be getting its own Met....... :(

You know, the library situation in Jacksonvile gives me an idea. Why doesn't Tampa try to build a midrise art museum (say, 5 stories) on the south side of DT? It would help redevelop all those parking lots down there, and at the same time, give the art museum plenty of room to be a world-class museum. Also, if it's a prize to the city, they could put it on South Franklin Street. If they were to do this it could jump start that whole area down there. :) :)

I'm starting to think that maybe they should just leave the entire museum issue alone for now...

Why build it? The museum has little in the way of art which can draw a crowd... There is no concensus on where to do so... And most importantly, DT's redevelopment is in such an early stage, that NOBODY can really know what to expect in the coming years...There's still almost no retail, almost no entertainment, almost no residents, businesses still don't want to be there and DT is still far from being pedestrian friendly.

I think at this point, the museum would probably be better served to raise funds and go on an art aquisition binge, and build up funds towards building a new facility in like 5-10 years. Afterall, the current facility is not 'bad'. It is simply poorly maintained... And frankly, I'm not sure that spending tens of millions to build a bigger museum which requires even more upkeep is all that wise, when the museum people can't really keep up with the current facility.

[edit] And in the mean time, I think the mayor should just get on with her clear agenda to sabotage the entire thing and stop wasting taxpayer dollars to do it. Take the ~$23 million left and use it to help spruce up the current museum's abyssmal public space along Ashley, and to use the rest of the funds to beautify the entire 'arts district' (or river district, whatever the hell they are calling it) with public art, landscaping and so on.

If DT development really does take off like it looks to be, the DT district will be flush with millions in new annual tax revenues, so finding a new funding source for a new museum will be no problem down the line.

I kind of agree. I actually think they should pick a lot then hold it until a future date.

I like the idea of going on an art aquisition binge. if so why not put more money into maintaining the old museum and possibly remolding parts of it to make it more appealing for now. Then when DT has an actual core of residents, open the idea of a new museum back up.

I hope for the best for this soap opra of a art museum.

How much square footage the this museum need? A part of me thinks there's an urban solution, where the courthouse site could be modified for the musuem.

^They're already talking about that... About 1/4-1/3 of the court block is a newer annew which they already know will be torn down and rebuilt to comprise most of the actual gallery spaces...

Now we have a real power struggle. Annoying, but interesting:

Riverfront museum gets solid backing
Art museum trustees and many residents at a public meeting criticize using the old courthouse.
By LENNIE BENNETT and BRIAN WHITE
Published July 21, 2005

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TAMPA - Mayor Pam Iorio faced a largely skeptical crowd Wednesday night during a public meeting to discuss sites for a new Tampa Museum of Art.

Iorio made her case for putting the museum in the historic federal courthouse at Florida Avenue and Twiggs Street and then said she wanted to listen to what residents had to say.

But earlier in the day, the chairman of the museum's board of trustees said it appeared the mayor had already made up her mind.

"We don't want to draw a line in the sand," chairman Cornelia Corbett said at a meeting of the board. "But I asked the mayor if there was any other site (besides the courthouse) she would support. Her answer was no."

The mayor listened for nearly two hours to dozens of people in the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Jaeb Theatre. About 200 people turned out. The city owns the museum and provides financial support, but until recently, city officials had left decisionmaking to the museum's board. They sparred during efforts to build a $76-million museum designed by Rafael Vinoly on its current footprint between Ashley Drive and the Hillsborough River, a plan that foundered because of inadequate financing.

That site is back in play along with another riverfront location and the courthouse, which Iorio has unequivocally championed as the anchor of an arts corridor running along Zack Street.

"The cultural district should be a much larger area, from the University of Tampa right into downtown," Iorio said at Wednesday's public meeting. Many who spoke wanted to see the museum stay on the river and did not like using the courthouse, along with an expansion, to house the art collection.

"You can shoehorn the museum into the courthouse, but then again, you could put it into one of the Winn-Dixies that are soon to be vacated," Phillip Crosby said.

Jan Platt, a former Tampa City Council member and Hillsborough County Commissioner, said she voted against the current museum in the 1970s because a study said it would be too small.

"Here it is today, and it's too small," Platt said.

Careful planning was needed to make sure the museum would be adequate in the future, Platt said. She also criticized Iorio for coming up with the courthouse plan without first consulting the community.

"Planning starts from the grass roots, from the bottom up, not the top down," she said.

Former Mayor Sandy Freedman, who spoke against the courthouse site last week at a public meeting, also came to Wednesday's meeting to repeat her opposition.

Betty Wiggins, director of the East Tampa Business and Civic Association, gave support to the courthouse plan, but qualified it, saying whatever plan was chosen had to be responsible.

Several museum board members spoke against the courthouse site.

"A riverfront park site is most appropriate," trustee Barbara Romano said.

Earlier in the day, the board voted to support just that idea.

They stopped short of rejecting Iorio's vision, but a majority voted to issue the statement that made clear they aren't happy with it.

"Our support is more for a park site," the board said.

"I'd like the public to think we know where the museum should go," board member Sara Richter said.

The vote came after the museum's building committee reported the courthouse was the least appealing choice, even with a 7-story addition.

"Every indication is that (a riverfront option) is the cheapest to operate," said trustee William M. Blanchard. "My family has been involved in renovating and operating historic buildings and they can be very expensive."

The mayor might be aiming too high with the courthouse idea, trustee Ed Waller Jr. said.

The trustees also voted to accept Ken Rollins as interim museum director but not without more contention over the process, in which the mayor interviewed candidates and made the recommendation.

Richter, saying "we have a fiduciary responsibility to look at more than one candidate," nominated Marshall Rousseau, director emeritus of the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg and a museum trustee, as a candidate.

"He was the mayor's first choice," she said.

Rousseau, who is in Chicago, said in a telephone interview, "She offered me the job over a month ago and I decided not to accept. I reconsidered and told her I'd love to talk about the possibility. I never heard from her again. I assume because I turned her down the first time I made myself unacceptable to her on any terms."

Rollins, who said in an earlier telephone interview he was asked to apply by city officials, will resign as director of the Gulf Coast Museum of Art, in Largo, to accept the job, which will pay $159,000, $47,500 of it from museum funds and the rest from the city.

He is guaranteed the job for two years; if a permanent director is hired before that, the city agreed to buy out the remainder of his contract.

[Last modified July 21, 2005, 00:56:18]
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/21/Hillsborough/Riverfront_museum_get.shtml

Museum Panel Backs Riverfront Site, Not Courthouse
By ELLEN GEDALIUS egedalius@tampatrib.com
Published: Jul 21, 2005




TAMPA - Hours before the final public meeting on where to put the new Tampa Museum of Art, the museum board publicly rejected Mayor Pam Iorio's idea to use the old federal courthouse for a new site.
Issuing what they called a ``statement of consensus,'' board members agreed that the Hillsborough riverfront would be most appropriate for a new museum, not a building several blocks away on Florida Avenue.

For weeks, board members cringed at the idea of putting the museum into the old courthouse. Wednesday was the first time the board took a firm stand.

``If the city were coming up with more money to make the [courthouse] work, maybe some of us would have different views,'' board member Ed Waller Jr. said.

Iorio remained undeterred Wednesday night.

``We're not through the process yet,'' she said. ``We agreed their opinion would come at the tail end of the process.''

She said the museum board and city officials would meet in late August, and the city would make a recommendation on where to put the new building. The museum board would then vote on the city's recommendation.

It remains unclear what would happen if consensus were not reached.

A few months ago, plans to build a $76 million museum near the river fell apart. The city and museum then hired consultants for $75,000 to study three sites: the courthouse, a site on Ashley Drive at Twiggs Street and a site on Ashley at Zack Street.

Board Chairwoman Cornelia Corbett said the statement of consensus simply means that is the direction the board leans given the information it has. The board agreed to work with the city to ensure the new building meshes with Iorio's vision for a river district.


Arguments For Each

Renovating the courthouse, several board members said, could be more expensive than it appears. Renovating an historic structure is costly, and the process could be lengthy. The courthouse also would be tough to expand, and gallery space would be limited.

Outdoor sculpture gardens wouldn't be likely.

The city would need to build a parking garage, which would cut into the $20 million Iorio promised to the museum. Iorio has said, however, the museum would share in the parking revenue.

The museum board leaned toward building a new museum on Ashley Drive and Zack Street.

The building would be big enough for plenty of galleries, have on-site parking and could easily be expanded. The museum store and cafe could have access to the two adjacent parks, and people strolling along the riverwalk could stop to visit the museum.


City Leaders Weigh In

More than 100 people attended a public meeting Wednesday night to discuss where to put the new museum. Unlike last week's meeting, which was considered poorly organized, Wednesday's meeting gave people plenty of time to share their opinions. Microphones were available.

Iorio, who had been criticized for not attending the first meeting, welcomed the crowd with a 20-minute speech.

``I firmly believe large-scale residential development does not belong on our waterfront property,'' Iorio said. ``Waterfront property is very precious. We have not made much land available for the public to enjoy.''

Under her plan, the waterfront along Ashley Drive would be transformed into green space. Small-scale commercial and residential projects would dot the area.

``Along this 2 1/2 mile riverwalk, there has to be a place for people to step off and get a sandwich,'' Iorio said.

``That park could be our Central Park. That park could be our gathering place in the city of Tampa. This is our one shot at it.''

Transforming the courthouse into a museum would spread the cultural arts district farther east into downtown.

Several of Tampa's movers and shakers gave their opinions on the museum, from former Mayor Sandy Freedman to former Hillsborough County Commissioner Jan Platt.

Leaders of Tampa's cultural institutions and civic associations joined local architects and engineers at the forum.

Freedman, Platt and others cautioned Iorio against using the courthouse for the museum.

After listing the disadvantages of the courthouse, museum board member Barbara Romano said, ``The museum board feels a riverfront park site is best suited for a new museum.''

The crowd burst into applause.

Betty Wiggins, chief executive officer of the East Tampa Business and Civic Association, said she supported Iorio's plan. ``It will benefit the total community,'' Wiggins said. ``So go ahead, mayor, and do your thing. Put the museum in the old courthouse to preserve that treasure.''


Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGBRH3GIEBE.html

Sometimes I think Pam Iorio would be happier if she were the totalitarian dictator of Tampa.

Not that I agree with Pam Iorio, but I don't know if the best site for a museum is on the waterfront. I'd rather see a large scale urban park. Downtown could really use the greenspace.

Not that I agree with Pam Iorio, but I don't know if the best site for a museum is on the waterfront. I'd rather see a large scale urban park. Downtown could really use the greenspace.

I totally agree with you, and her, on this point. DT could definetely benefit from a large park in a good location with a nice view, and this would be a better use of space than putting a museum there. But the museum shouldn't go into a tiny old courthouse either. The one thing I hate the most about the courthouse plan is the lack of light entering the building when compared to Vinoly's plan. If someday Tampa is able to attain art of considerable value and beauty, then wouldn't it be better suited in a room with tons of natural light, and not a musky, creaky, utilitarian old government building?

Best place for a museum, if we should even try anymore at all as Jasonhouse points out, is on one of DT's many empty parking lots.

Iorio ditches museum plans
The Tampa mayor yielded to the art museum's board, and to public sentiment, by scrapping plans to move the museum to a courthouse.
By MICHAEL VAN SICKLER and BILL VARIAN
Published July 22, 2005

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TAMPA - Gauging that support was too shaky, Mayor Pam Iorio late Thursday afternoon scrapped a plan to move the Tampa Museum of Art into the historic federal courthouse.

Her decision came less than 24 hours after dozens of people told the mayor during a downtown meeting that the museum shouldn't move to the courthouse at Florida Avenue and Twiggs Street.

"We need to look at the overarching goal," Iorio said late Thursday after informing the museum's board of trustees about her decision. "We need a museum. If the museum folks say they don't want the museum in the courthouse, they won't raise the money and it won't get built."

Her decision, however, leaves the project in limbo as museum backers and the city seek a new site somewhere in downtown that serves twin goals of providing a suitable home for the museum and encouraging redevelopment.

It also forces the administration to reassess plans to create an arts district along Zack Street between the old courthouse and the river, Iorio said.

Iorio exacted one significant concession from museum backers before announcing that she will walk away from the courthouse proposal: It won't be built where the existing museum is located on the Hillsborough River. She said she still intends to demolish the old building within two years and add that land to an expanded and spruced up version of Curtis Hixon Park.

If all goes as planned, the new park would open in the next three years.

"My opinion doesn't change about the waterfront," Iorio said. "That's a real priority for this administration. We have to have that green space. We need to start fresh and look at a third option.

What that means remains to be seen. But museum board members cheered the mayor's reversal.

Cornelia Corbett, chairwoman of the museum's board, said that Iorio called about 8 p.m. Thursday to say she had changed her mind.

"I lauded her for being able to step out of a position," Corbett said. "She just thought it through. She knows the board is not in favor of the courthouse, and after listening to public opinion (Wednesday) night, she knew it wasn't possible."

Corbett said Iorio promised her that she would include the board in the process of picking a future site.

"She seemed okay that this was the next step in the life of the museum," Corbett said. "I think we're getting close, and now it will be a cooperative decision."

Board member Sara Richter was attending an opening at the museum when she heard the news from staff members about 6 p.m.

"Everyone was happy to hear this," Richter said. "It was good news for us. I'm ecstatic."

As for what's next, Corbett said it's important to take time before selecting a new site. But there isn't much time for any more delays, either, she said.

"We have to do the right thing and make this work," Corbett said. "We can't go through another hiccup. This has been a tennis ball going back and forth. Let's just get together and find a site so we can move forward with the fundraising."

The mayor's vision for the museum at the courthouse placed it as an anchor for an arts district that would line Zack Street to a waterfront park flanked by residences, stores and restaurants. The old museum would be torn down to provide a view of the University of Tampa from downtown.

Money generated by allowing private developers to build on the edges of the park would help pay for upgrades to the park and improvements to Ashley Drive. Critics at a meeting last week blasted the idea of letting private developers build on parkland between Hillsborough River and Ashley Drive.

The city launched a study of the idea of transforming the century-old, shut-down courthouse into a museum after plans for a $76-million art museum on Ashley Drive designed by renowned architect Rafael Vinoly fizzled over financing problems in April.

At the request of museum leaders, the study was expanded to include two sites on Ashley Drive - one perpendicular to the street and another parallel.

Preliminary estimates put the price of moving the museum into the courthouse at $26-million to $43.2-million. Building along Ashley Drive would cost about $46.4-million to $56-million. And a museum on Ashley would cost $35.3-million to $43.8-million.

The city has committed $20-million to build a new museum, and another $1-million a year to operate it. That hasn't changed, Iorio said.

Her latest decision, however, is not likely to please everyone.

It didn't win over former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman, who lit into Iorio's courthouse idea last week during a public meeting. Freedman, who was mayor from 1987 to 1995, criticized the courthouse as a poor alternative that would be pricier than estimated and would allow private development of parkland along Ashley Drive.

"I'm still concerned," Freedman said. "Even though she decided not to go with the courthouse, she still doesn't want it on the waterfront site. So where are we? We've essentially lost three years, and now if we go back to square one, we'll lose more time. Donors are getting antsy."

Everyone needs to give a little, Iorio said.

"If we truly want a museum, the current standoff, with strong opinions, is not going to cut it," Iorio said. "They're giving up the waterfront, and there's some members of the TMA who may have strong opinions about that. We're giving up the concept to the courthouse.

"We all have to compromise."

Staff writer Saundra Amrhein and Lennie Bennett contributed to this report.

Best place for a museum, if we should even try anymore at all as Jasonhouse points out, is on one of DT's many empty parking lots.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but does the city own all the downtown parking lots, or is it a combo of public and privately-owned lots?

Seems like there are several parcels that could give the museum board their new building with meeting spaces, cafe, ample parking, etc. and still allow Pam to open up the current space for a nice park.

And the city needs to drop the whole district-labeling crap as well (cultural arts district, etc). I've seen the North Franklin area labeled both "Cafe District" and Theatre District" on different maps. What other theatres are down there other than the Tampa Theatre?? IS there an abundance of cafes that I've missed? Let these places evolve into something before slapping a label on them which may or may not have any significance.

Sorry, just a growing pet-peeve of mine.

Best place for a museum, if we should even try anymore at all as Jasonhouse points out, is on one of DT's many empty parking lots.

Yes I agree, just like I mentioned in an earlier post. :)

Finally. The courthouse plan was dropped. I'm glad Iorio finally gave in and scrapped it. I still prefer a better redevelopment of the waterfront site with the museum on it, but redeveloping a few blocks of those icky parking lots could be really nice. A big, open museum with a sizeable park would be really nice.

^^ Now would be the time to email or write the Mayor, Council and/or the Board to let these thoughts be known!!!

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but does the city own all the downtown parking lots, or is it a combo of public and privately-owned lots?

Seems like there are several parcels that could give the museum board their new building with meeting spaces, cafe, ample parking, etc. and still allow Pam to open up the current space for a nice park.

And the city needs to drop the whole district-labeling crap as well (cultural arts district, etc). I've seen the North Franklin area labeled both "Cafe District" and Theatre District" on different maps. What other theatres are down there other than the Tampa Theatre?? IS there an abundance of cafes that I've missed? Let these places evolve into something before slapping a label on them which may or may not have any significance.

Sorry, just a growing pet-peeve of mine.

I haven't a clue about who owns the majority of downtown parking lots, but I'd suppose most of them are privately owned. Since property taxes aren't outrageous, most of the landowners are holding on to these lots until they are really worth something. But, I'm sure the city owns some parcel of land in River/Arts/Cultural district, perhpas on Zack, the supposed future Boulevard des Arts à Tampa. And, no, I don't believe there is an abudance of cafes on N Franklin. I'm not sure there are any cafes on or around that stretch of street at all. I know there's a liquor store, a bar, a crummy looking pizza joint, an empty, seeemingly overpriced Asian restaurant and Spain, but I have yet to discover something that can be described as a "café".

I agree with you about all the silly names for N. Franklin. Why don't we concentrate on building something there, and aiding the creation of a livable, desirable community. Then perhaps an appropriate, non city-ordained name will come to us, or better yet the residents of that area.

I saw a map of downtown that lists all parking lots, and they are mostly privately-owned by a number of companies, with the city owning a number as well.

I read that Pam is not opposed to purchasing land for the museum, so it doesn't necessarily have to fall within a city-owned block.

Here's my idea: take a look at the land between the TBPAC / Patel Conservatory and Laurel Place. Currently, the only thing on this large area is the old Holiday Inn (which the developer has already mentioned may be coming down) and a vast ocean of a parking lot, primarily owned by Denholtz.

Why not build the Museum in that area? They would not only be close to the TBPAC (further enhancing the "cultural arts" campus idea) but also adjacent to the Hillsborough River (which so many members of the board covet).

The new hotel could be built in conjunction with condos, and possibly a parking garage to compensate for the lost lots.

Pam would get her downtown urban park at Curtis Hixon / current art museum; the Art Museum would get a new riverside home; the eyesore of a hotel would be replaced with something more fitting of the area; the endless blacktop lot could evolve into condos, some retail, lush landscaping, etc. And it would all be linked nicely with the planned Riverwalk.

I realize there would need to be a lot of coordination between the city, hotel developer, Denholtz and the museum board but the outcome could be something special.

What do you guys think? Am I just naive to think that this could work??

I saw a map of downtown that lists all parking lots, and they are mostly privately-owned by a number of companies, with the city owning a number as well.

I read that Pam is not opposed to purchasing land for the museum, so it doesn't necessarily have to fall within a city-owned block.

Here's my idea: take a look at the land between the TBPAC / Patel Conservatory and Laurel Place. Currently, the only thing on this large area is the old Holiday Inn (which the developer has already mentioned may be coming down) and a vast ocean of a parking lot, primarily owned by Denholtz.

Why not build the Museum in that area? They would not only be close to the TBPAC (further enhancing the "cultural arts" campus idea) but also adjacent to the Hillsborough River (which so many members of the board covet).

The new hotel could be built in conjunction with condos, and possibly a parking garage to compensate for the lost lots.

Pam would get her downtown urban park at Curtis Hixon / current art museum; the Art Museum would get a new riverside home; the eyesore of a hotel would be replaced with something more fitting of the area; the endless blacktop lot could evolve into condos, some retail, lush landscaping, etc. And it would all be linked nicely with the planned Riverwalk.

I realize there would need to be a lot of coordination between the city, hotel developer, Denholtz and the museum board but the outcome could be something special.

What do you guys think? Am I just naive to think that this could work??


Or even work closely with the University of Tampa to have it developed/constructed adjacent to the University. Benefits the city and the university -- UT could undertake some of the management (and costs), and the city could help boost the prestige and education at UT. Lots of universities have used museums and performing arts centers to advance their overall reputation.

They could do that at an Ashley/roverfront site... Maybe the dream of having a cool ped. bridge cross from one riverfront park to the other could finally come to fruition.

Art Museum Must Bolster Finances Before Getting Tampa's $20 Million
By ELLEN GEDALIUS egedalius@tampatrib.com
Published: Sep 1, 2005





TAMPA - While promising to foster a partnership between the city and the Tampa Museum of Art, Mayor Pam Iorio gave art board members an ultimatum: Develop a $10 million endowment or the city won't turn over $20 million dedicated for a new building.
``That endowment comes first,'' Iorio said. ``Endowment is the most important thing from the city's perspective.''

A healthy endowment, she said, is more important than the building's size, its architecture or its location.

The museum has about $2 million in its endowment.

Iorio also said the city will not give the museum money upfront for the new building because Tampa already has spent about $6.7 million on a museum project that will not go forward.

``The city money in this new project is the last money in,'' Iorio said.

That means the museum will be responsible for further studies, consulting fees, and probably design and architectural fees as well.

Iorio made her comments Wednesday during an art museum board meeting. Wednesday's meeting was the third she has attended since becoming mayor in April 2003.

All agree the museum has outgrown its building on Ashley Drive, but plans to create a $76 million museum nearby were scrapped when the museum couldn't secure construction loans.

Weeks after that, art museum board members and Iorio debated where to put a proposed building. The museum and city spent $75,000 on a consultant to analyze three sites.

Board members wanted a site along the Hillsborough River, but Iorio wanted to put the museum in the old federal courthouse on Florida Avenue.

Iorio later backed down from the courthouse plan. She still does not want to give the museum land along the river.

Some board members Wednesday asked Iorio whether any of the sites studied would be reconsidered. Jan Platt, a former county commissioner and city councilwoman who recently was appointed to the museum board, pointed out the study's cost.

Iorio urged the board members to quit focusing on the sites in the study. Those locations, she said, are not open to discussion. Iorio wants the riverfront to be developed into parks and small-scale commercial projects.

A site selection committee is scouring town for a new site. The Ybor City Development Corp. has submitted a list of suggestion, and several city- owned properties downtown are under consideration. Sites include The Florida Aquarium parking lot and parking lots along Florida Avenue.

Councilwoman Linda Saul- Sena, who is a liaison between the council, museum board and city administration, asked Iorio whether the city could provide matching funds to the museum. For example, if the museum raised $5 million, maybe the city could turn over $5 million, she said.

Iorio reaffirmed her position: The city won't release the money until the museum has a sound financial plan, including a $10 million endowment.

``There would have to be some finality to the financing before we released the money,'' Iorio said.

``I know that not all of you are happy to hear all the city has to say today, but I think it's so important you know what the city's position is as you go forward,'' Iorio continued.

In related business, city finance director Bonnie Wise told board members the city is losing $1.2 million a year on the bonds it issued for the art museum project. When the bonds were issued in 2001, the city pledged it expected to spend 85 percent of the bond proceeds within three years.

That hasn't happened because the project has come to a halt. Wise now worries the bonds could lose their tax- exempt status, which would anger bond holders and could spur lawsuits.

Wise said the city has four options: maintaining the bond proceeds for the museum, using them for another project, paying off a portion of the outstanding bonds, or implementing a combination of all three.


Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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