With over 500 attending the annual meeting of the Downtown Partnership, Stanley Saitowitz, architect for the proposed Tampa Museum of Art presented some photographic glimpses and some verbal looks at his plans for the new museum. With an overhang on the ground floor to accomodate use by park visitors and to provide a totally transparent lobby with views to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the University of Tampa and the Riverwalk, Saitowitz's vision became more in focus as he highlighted key features of the proposed museum: two buildings with one designed for the public with galleries while the other would service as offices, storage, and more for the function of the museum. A green roof designed to provide rainwater displacement and to integrate with the park. He called the museum a "blank container" designed to encourage you to discover art. The building is to have a main atrium and to be covered with a two layer mesh that will allow the feeling of transformation and transition, as well as, serve as display of color and light. There was much to like about his plans, but never did the subject of money or costs come up.

It was Mayor Iorio's brief remarks that had most people's attention. First, she acknowledged that it had been "another good year for downtown" as she highlighted what was still ahead. Changing more downtown streets to two way with Zack being next and being renamed as the "Avenue of the Arts". She commented on the 60 acre Heights project at the north end of the Riverwalk and the Central Park Village project as significant contributions to enhancing the downtown. As her talk moved more toward the Tampa Museum of Art, she expressed no doubts or concerns about the funding for the museum and aggressively complimented the volunteer board members and especially Cornelia Corbett for their efforts in promoting the museum. They have been "doing the right things" Mayor Iorio told the pro-downtown crowd. With the recent Tampa Tribune editorial calling for a change in the Museum Board, the Mayor's remarks had many paying close attention. She further indicated that current Director Ken Rollins would stay in his current position for a few more months, until a replacement is found. However, we have learned that there seems to be a divided opinion as to who should decide the next director - the Mayor or the Museum Board. Some other museum professional expressed concern to us that no search for a new director seemed underway. With serious fundraising ahead and almost $20 million of public funds involved, we find this concerning. Concerns have also been expressed about the elimination of arts funding that was to come from Trump Tower and from several other downtown projects that are now on hold.

While the art museum topic was the one on the agenda - Mayor Iorio also indicated that over 38% of the funds required for the Riverwalk Park project had been acquired and recognized the efforts of Dan Mahurian of Sun Trust Bank as Chairman of the committe. She continued her emphasis that the Riverwalk will be a 2.1 mile connection of Tampa's greatest assets. We asked the Mayor to further confirm that the 38% number was indeed correct and she did.

With the legislative tax cutting agenda still unclear, the actual cost of museum construction not totally firm, the extremely large question mark concerning the failed Trump Tower and its potential impact on the Riverwalk, and other issues, we were not surprised at the positivenes expressed by all. If you aren't positive at the Downtown Partnership event about key downtown projects, where would you be ?

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