The University of Tampa’s Plant Hall is a historic structure formerly known as the Tampa Bay Hotel, an elite 500+ -room resort hotel, opened by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant in 1891. It was later used as a base of operations during the Spanish-American War, and it was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark on December 5, 1972 under its former name.
Due to its historic significance, the preservation of this building is of great importance. Shumake Architecture was called on to facilitate this imperative endeavor in 2014 by surveying the entire building (minarets, roof, basement and five stories) and renovating some of its key areas. Meticulous studying of the building’s long standing construction was essential not only to repair deteriorating areas of its aging structure, but also to preserve the building for many years to come. Our studies uncovered impairments that needed restoration and upgrade, particularly the basement structure and the building’s current mechanical system.
To date, we have worked on renovating all of the ballrooms: Fletcher Lounge, Grand Salon and Music Suite. Included in the renovation is the restructuring of the floor/basement of all three ballrooms, renovating the roof of Grand Salon and Fletcher Lounge, and some interior renovation of Fletcher Lounge and the Music Suite. We have also worked on the interior renovation of the Bursar’s Office, Science Wing (and other classrooms), and the President’s Suite.
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