608 N. Franklin: Maas Bros. Building

Current state: Vacant

Size: 67,000 square feet in six stories

Built: 1921

Current owner: 610 Franklin LLC, controlled by Pradip Patel, whose brother, Kiran, donated the money for the new school of the arts at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

What happened: The Maas Bros. store and surrounding blocks were purchased in 1998 by Chesapeake Atlantic Holdings, whose principal Greg Hughes wanted to create a multi-block project of condos, retail and offices centered on a 30-story skyscraper to be called Renaissance Tampa. He announced his grand plan at a Tampa Museum of the Arts soiree. But his dreams never came to fruition; today, the historic Maas Bros. is mold-infested, rundown and unsafe. The city ordered its demolition in 2002. Hughes ended up selling the various properties or losing them in bankruptcy court.

800 block N. Franklin: Kress Block Project

Current state: Vacant

Size: Almost 155,000 square feet over four buildings

Built: Between 1920 and 1940

Current owners: Several corporations controlled by Miami developer Doran Jason

What happened: This property — which includes two of Tampa's old downtown five-and-dime stores, Kress and Woolworth's — has sat mostly vacant for years. It is slated for an office/retail project in two towers of 27 and 24 stories.

910 N. Florida Ave.: Former W.T. Grant store

Current state: Vacant

Current owner: Corporation controlled by Doran Jason

What happened: Some artists made a run at trying to convince the Doran Jason company to allow them to install a number of arts groups — both visual and performing — in this vacant five-and-dime store space, which runs from Franklin Street to Florida Avenue. Although Jason was willing to discuss the idea, in the end it could not lower the rents enough to make the project viable, one artist involved in the talks said. Jeanette Jason, who represented the company in those talks, did not respond to repeated requests for an interview for this story.

908-910 N. Franklin: Former home of Bits 'N Pieces Puppet Theatre

Current state: Vacant

Size: 10,000 in two stories

Built: 1920

Current owner: Tampa lawyer David L. Shear and his family have owned the property for 62 years.

What happened: Shear was not available to comment for this story. His property used to serve as the home and workshop (but not performing space) for the Bits 'N Pieces Puppet Theatre, which moved to Dover and has performed internationally with its 9-foot-tall puppets.

914 N. Franklin

Current state: Vacant

Size: 18,000 square feet over three stories

Built: 1920

Current owner: Isaak Jason Associates IV, which is controlled by Tampa bankruptcy lawyer Malka Isaak

915 N. Franklin: Former

site of Antiques &

Decorative Arts

Current state: Vacant

Size: 9,700 square feet

Built: 1921

Current owner: Another Doran Jason-controlled corporation