Brass Bowl

Most everybody knows this sculpture as the Giant Slinky, but the real name of the piece is the Wave.  It was created by Mary Ann Unger and emplaced on Bayshore Blvd in 1989. 

Mary Ann Unger studied with George Sugarman (Exploding Chicken) at Columbia University, where she recieved a Masters Degree in Fine Arts.  Ms. Unger’s artwork is in the collections of the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Ms. Unger passed away in 1999 after battling breast cancer for 13 years.  She was 53.

I don’t know how, or why. I looked online, but didn’t see a story. But this really sticks out when you are walking downtown. Let’s face it. Tampa (downtown) isn’t that big. Maybe ten by ten blocks, give or take. A building missing a window is kind of easy to notice. (kicker at the end of post)

In any event, the thing that struck me was that this building does not have a local name. Most buildings have a name, like Rivergate Tower, or Park Tower, or Bank of America, or Wachovia (WalkOverYa) Center, etc. But I could not find a name for this one. I know it is owned by the Catholic Church, or a portion or subsidy thereof. But even Emporis does not give a moniker to this one. So if you know what this is called other than Morgan Street Garage, please share it with us.

As usual when you see the dotted line underneath the picture, click on it to see a larger image.

Thanks to Barnacle Bill for pointing this out to me while I was focused on a crane.

Text follows image.

Years of Conflict

Throughout its existence, Fort Brook retained its prominence in the U.S. military’s offensive operations in Florida.  Below present-day Whiting St., there were horse sheds, a bake house, a carpenter’s shop, a Quartermaster’s store, a “pen” for Indian prisoners, a hospital, & a cemetery.  Nine overall commanders would take the field in Florida, & most of them would visit the fort at one time or another.  Among them were Gen., later President, Zachary Taylor, Gen. Thos. S. Jesup, & Lt. Col. William Harney.  Solders of all ranks, from privates to generals, would gain military experience here that would propel them to advancement in their nation’s later 19th century wars: the Mexican War, the Civil War, & the U.S wars against the western Plains Indians.  The Fort Brooke reservation, 4 miles square, reached the zenith of its occupation in late 1837, when 65 officers & 1596 enlisted men were in garrison.  Over the last year, 450 Indians had been gathered at the fort, awaiting transport to the West.  Others continued to come in or be captured.  On June 2, 1837, Osceola & Abraka & a war party of about 200, released the prisoners.   Gen. Jesup was disheartened.  “This campaign, so far as relates to Indian migration,” he wrote, “has entirely failed.”  In Oct. 1837, a number of Indian war leaders were captured, & the fort’s garrison was reduced, even as the war dragged on for another five years.  The U.S. withdrew from Florida in 1842, ending the 2nd Seminole War, & Congress pased the Armed Occupation Act, encouraging white settlement of the Florida frontier.

It happens from time to time.   Plans don’t work out, or they are based in error.  Such was our day.  We went to the Convention Center, leaving our chairs behind.  TBO stated there would be seating provided.  We get there, nothing.  So we pick a spot to try to watch it.  We get crowded out by less than polite, less than sober people.  Between the columns, the palm trees and the people, we simply could not see much of anything.    We left early, tired and not in the best of humor.  None of the pictures I took are worth posting.

And it is my fault.  I did not do a good job of research or review of the best viewing area.  (shrug)  Some days are like that.  You can’t have great days every day.

Unless you are a cat.  Here’s to you, Tinkerbell.

Built in 1926 and opened on January 15, 1927, the Hotel Floridan (corner of Cass and Florida) is the only historic skyscraper (18 stories) left in downtown Tampa. For many years after its opening, it was THE place to stay when in Tampa, offering 300+ rooms together with an opulent lobby and a first class restaurant. Exhibiting both Beaux Arts and Renaissance Revival elements, the Hotel Floridan stood out from the normal fare, and provided a level of lodging that was difficult to match in Tampa at the time. But the advent of suburbia in the 1950′s spelled the end of the first round of glory for the Floridan. It faded and struggled, and entered dream sleep in 1987. For years it sat, dormant, slumbering, changing hands and getting farther and farther into decline. It was saved from the wrecking ball in 1996 when it was entered into the National Registry of Historic Places, and in April of 2005 it was purchased by Antonio Markopoulos with the intent to renovate and renew the historic structure. Work began shortly afterwards, and has been ongoing ever since, with the usual slate of problems, including mortar and paper. But as you can see from the photos, the exterior has had significant progress. While I was shooting these pictures, I meet Ms. Lisa Shasteen (Esq), of Shasteen-Sizemore, the firm that represents Mr. Markopoulos . She related that the renovation has been a tremendous adventure, and that she was very happy with the community support in this venture.

From numerous articles I have researched, the Floridan was projected to be ready in time for the 2009 Super Bowl. I did not get a opportunity to see the level of progress inside, so I can’t comment intelligently about that timeline. Additionally, Mr. Markopoulos is bank rolling the entire renovation out of pocket. No financing. (Smart move in my book. Why pay interest when you don’t have to. You also retain control of your project.)

So the question of the moment is: Will it be ready for the Super Bowl (and of course, Gasparilla)?

I would hope so, as that would be the premier event(s) to showcase the Floridan. Granted now, the gulf between what I know (little) and what I don’t know (just about everything) concerning this project is immense, spanning both time and distance, and I would much rather see it done right six months later than early and slipshod, but I can tell you for sure what I do know:

I like this building. I have walked past it (occasionally) most of my life. And I thank Mr. Markopoulos, Ms. Shasteen and all the members of his team for restoring it. I hope to treat my wife and self to a stay in the renovated Hotel Floridan some day, and savor the experience.

(click on photos to see larger images)

How quickly it went.  100 posts.  At this time, CNN has selected several Brass Bowl photos to use in their iReports of Unusual Photos.  The Exploding Chicken and Mona Lisard are currently shown here and here. Bonus! You get to learn my full name)  There are other photos that CNN has used either on their cable show or somewhere else;  Hunting Party, Smallest Office and Staple Sculpture.

Today I want to show you a little plot of land for sale.  It is situated right next to the Platt Street bridge.  It is triangular in shape, measuring 55.64 feet by 79 feet by 60.55 feet.  I haven’t done the math, but the real estate flyer says that this equals 1753 square feet.  That’s great for a house, but for a lot?  That’s not alot!

Okay, ready for the price?  $800,000.00.  Now I know this is downtown waterfront,  and I’m sure that the per square foot cost is based on what another lot was sold for, but that other lot had to be just a little bigger than a hot dog stand, or a tee-shirt shop.  I dunno, you tell me.

(Click on the picture to see a 1200 x 900 image)