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Art, uninspired

The proposal to house Tampa's new arts museum in vacant office space on the downtown riverfront is more about expediency than the city's cultural image.

It is hard to imagine a more uninspiring idea than housing Tampa's new arts museum in vacant office space on the downtown riverfront. If officials do not have a broader vision for the arts in Tampa, then the question should not be where to build, but whether to build at all. While this move would placate both museum donors, who want a Cadillac on the river, and Mayor Pam Iorio, who wants something lighter on the wallet, it does not meet the rationale for building the museum in the first place: projecting Tampa as a cultural destination. This new facility is doomed if leaders continue to think small.

Members of the site selection committee announced last week their interest in three properties at the corner of Kennedy Boulevard and Ashley Drive. The museum would occupy two cube-shaped buildings and two floors of the adjacent Rivergate Tower office building. The move would provide the museum 58,000 square feet of space, compared to its current 44,000 square feet of property. The footprint would also include a plaza, park and access to parking, giving the museum room to grow and tying the venue to the Riverwalk now under construction.

The idea makes sense if the mayor were warehousing records or offices, but a museum needs a grander presence. Wedging it in hand-me-down space sends the message that art in Tampa is an afterthought. That corner is among the worst downtown, making access to the museum difficult. The concept also has the potential to make visiting a discombobulated experience. While the site would complement the Riverwalk and capitalize on nearby parking, the arguments in favor tend to benefit other city projects, not necessarily the museum.

This proposal is more about expediency than art or Tampa's cultural image. A signature building, designed to last decades and located off the riverfront, is still the best option. But before the city locks in a location and a size, it needs to resolve the museum's mission, which still looks like a moving target. All we hear from the museum board is riverfront, riverfront - not what will be on the inside. If so little thought is being given to the collection, what is driving this new facility aside from the desire for something bigger and new, a Riverwalk and all these other side issues?