The dirtpile formerly known as the Tampa Museum of Art, photographed today by Shanna Gillette in mid-demolition. Meanwhile, we received this ominous related message from… The Ghost Soldiers?
Subject: Study this FACE carefully, you will see in many times in the future until you answer the questions – about why you supported the destruction of the TMA building, the garage and the expenditure of millions to replace then with a park
From: The Band of Brothers of Florida and the Ghost Soldiers
We are the Ghost Soldiers – we say that you are not paid nor were you elected to be silent about what the mayor is doing – the millions she is destroying and the millions she is spending to destroy the valuable public property.
We did not fight and die for what is going on,, your silence, destroying property, wasting money, the misinformation and half truths surrounding this project – the failure to follow dues process, it must be stopped and revisited.
Who wins and who loses – who benefits the most and who gets the $1,000,000 a year wind fall and why?
Destroying these two buildings is a criminal act and whoever approved it – if destroyed – The Mayor and The City Council must be held accountable.
We believe that It is a criminal act! and we believe that we can prove it …
Our FACE will never go away until the following questions are answered now before the building are destroyed or later in the courts:
Starting with – why do you want to destroy a perfectly good 27 year old building a COT building that has far greater value than a patch of green that will replace it?
And what is the rationale for destroying a much needed, scare, downtown money/revenue producing 170 space parking garage? that provides easy access to the new museums, the water front the river walk …
So far all we have heard is:
The roof of the garage leaks – ANSWER – remove the fountain that causes the leak and replace it with a park – green the entire plaza is the better option…
That the TMA roof leaks – ANSWER repair the roof – we will prove that the roof was not repaired because it allowed those who wanted the building destroyed – a good reason.
We have heard that the mayor wants everyone to have a better view of UT Plant Hall – the new park will have so many trees that one will see not more of Plant Hall than they see now.
If the mayor wants a park – ANSWER – it is only the mayor and a hand full of citizens who want the park…. we will prove that over 90 percent of the COT citizens do not want to spend all this money and lose all the parking revenue for a park no bigger and better that what can be without destroying the museum building and the garage.
The COT destroyed a perfectly good 27 year old football stadium to eliminate competition – they said stadium was too costly to repair – a lie, they spent far more money and have lost far more revenue by destorying it – they to will be held accountable….
The citizens of COT, the USF Bulls and the citizens of Tampa Bay are the big time losers in that deal.
They destroyed a 27 year year old convention center to have a park – which they in turn will destroy in less than 1r5 years…
Now they want to destroy a 27 year old museum building and a garage
because the roofs leak and the Mayor want her friends, her supporters, her base or her legacy a vanity park…
We have heard that it is an ugly building – answer give it a new facelift a new facade to look like the new museum
That is is not functional – answer – by whose standards? The new museum must replicated all this space that will be destroyed at over $600/square foot and have only 25 % gallery space if they can afford that much
Saving the garage provides saving, revenue, convenience and with a park on top will have far more value that a park.
This Message to the Mayor and the City Council is from the Ghost Soldiers and is delivered by Robert Bose 1/27th Florida Band of Brothers …
This article appears in Jan 30 – Feb 5, 2008.