1960s
John H. Germany Library, Tampa (1968)
Have you ever wondered why so much of Tampa’s downtown waterfront was built after 1965? That is because LBJ’s Great Society money was used for urban renewal, which I call “urban removal” because the city tore down the modest, mostly black-owned homes and businesses which were located immediately north of the central business district. This area was rebuilt with the Interstate, the Straz Center, lots of surface parking lots and the Main Public Library (renamed in 1999 in honor of John F. Germany, a distinguished judge and civic leader. Local architects McLane, Ranon, McIntosh & Bernardo and McElvy & Jennewein designed this classically inspired modern structure. The travertine marble-clad slender columns support the flat roof, allowing for two-story curtain walls, or expanses of glass. The second floor appears to float from the staircase. Subsequent additions to the library — the domed auditorium and “gerbil tube” connection to the rear addition — are less successful in their design.
