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Building's new life, voters' apathy
© St. Petersburg Times City Council member Bob Buckhorn will open discussion about revitalizing the old federal courthouse at Thursday's Tampa City Council meeting, and we can only hope his colleagues share his enthusiasm. Buckhorn, a mayoral candidate, will suggest that the city consider making the old courthouse the new city hall. Built in 1901, the building has not been used since the new federal courthouse opened in 1997. Buckhorn said the General Services Administration is expected to make the building available. Buckhorn said that if mold and asbestos issues can be cleared up, the building could be used to consolidate government offices, including several agencies located at the old Carnegie Library in Tampa Heights. The library could be sold to the private sector and put back on the tax rolls, creating two sources of revenue for restoring the courthouse. Buckhorn said the current executive office building could be demolished to create more space in the esplanade area. More than anything, Buckhorn would like to hear all ideas about making the courthouse viable. "It would be a colossal mistake not to find a functional use for it." Obviously, you would not want the old courthouse to become a money pit. But preserving a building with such historic value is at least worth talking about. It would bring a needed infusion to the northern side of downtown, and it seems to me we've knocked down enough worthy buildings in this town. According to the Supervisor of Elections Office, 28.75 percent of all registered voters went to the poll for the September primary. It's far from impressive, but the numbers are even lower for the county's young voters. Only 4.78 percent of the 6,926 registered voters between the ages of 18 and 20 exercised their right. And only 5.07 percent of voters between the ages of 21 and 29 participated. The young, and the young at heart like me, need to make every effort to vote. You shouldn't throw stones if you living in a glass house, but I have to confess -- I didn't vote either. I was working as a poll volunteer outside my precinct. I needed to take advantage of the county's early voting offers. The opportunity is upon us again, and I'm going to be sure to exercise the right. The county started offering early voting Monday and will continue up until Election Day, Nov. 5. You can vote between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Supervisor of Elections office on the 16th floor of County Center and the Elections Service Center at 2514 N Falkenburg Road in Brandon. Beginning Oct. 28, hours will be extended until 6 p.m. and both locations will be open for voting on Saturday, Nov. 2. Fans of Mac's Sports Pub should not panic over the ongoing speculation about the property's future. Co-owner Paul Paluzzi told Times reporter Susan Thurston he and partner Tom McHale have no immediate plans to turn the S Howard Avenue hangout into a hotel, condos or anything else. In the future, perhaps, but not right now. Business is too good. Paluzzi says the crowds have far exceeded their expectations. Many are old Chatterbox spillovers in need of a new watering hole. Others are young SoHo partiers looking for fun and cheap drinks. In any case, Paluzzi says if they decide to do something different, they will relocate Mac's or include it in the new plan. Don't worry. They'll give plenty of notice. I can't pretend to know all the answers to the struggles of the University of Florida football team, but could it hurt to get the son of City Council candidate Bernadine White-King on the field? Zach King, who played at Woodberry Forest Prep in Virginia, is 6 feet 5 and 323 pounds. He's a walk-on freshman for the Gators and I guess the operative word is walk-on. According to Bernadine, he wears a size 17 shoe. That's all I'm saying. -- Ernest Hooper can be reached at (813) 226-3406 or Hooper@sptimes.com .
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Times columns today Mary Jo Melone Ernest Hooper Jan Glidewell John Romano From the Times Metro desks |
