Opinion: Involving the public in the process

A Times Editorial

Involving the public in the process

Two good things came of the redesign of Tampa's new downtown arts museum. First, the place has a cleaner look. The imposing outdoor canopy is smaller, the creepy-crawler support poles are gone and the side facing the Hillsborough River is more open, elegant and inviting. But the bigger achievement is how the city took public opinion into account. The city created an environment where good ideas were incorporated in the final design. This was an important precedent to set as the city begins to build its cultural arts district.

The museum still has an open-air design and the essential architecture is intact. Where Rafael Vinoly improved on the building was in using alternative materials to remove the bluntness of the initial design. No architect will please everyone, but Vinoly and the city deserve credit for acting on the criticism. The final design is bold, clean and fittingly urban. The modern look also reflects Tampa's new identity as an artistic center. The very sweep of its lobby and gallery space speaks to the city's newfound ambition.

But while the building will change the physical landscape downtown, nothing better characterizes the old and new way in Tampa than in the decisionmaking process that led to the final design. There were legitimate complaints early on about the level of public participation in the museum design. But the city and the museum leadership reached out, and now Tampa's new multimillion-dollar landmark has more popular support.

This is the right way to break ground on the cultural arts district -- the broad plan to bring arts venues, apartments, restaurants and shops to Tampa's downtown riverfront. The museum's design was important because it foreshadowed how public input would factor into many other planning decisions. What the museum looks like affects not only the visual senses but the functionality of downtown. The second time around, the city got it right.