"Necessity is the mother of invention".

That seems to sum up the newly touted deal on the Tampa Museum of Art. Mayor Iorio had come under a lot of heat from Museum supporters after the skirmish over funding and location. Talk of active recruitment of a mayor candidate kept vibrating through the community. She needs the museum to be a significant part of her downtown re-development plans.

The Museum has been on a course of elimination. With the planned demolition of the current location and the elimination of the grand new building as a viable alternative, time was of the essence. They needed to do something.

The Beer Can Building and Adjacent Cubes have set significantly empty for years. This property needs activity and I am sure the rent to keep everyone happy. They needed a significant tenant.

The Mayor, the Museum, and even the Tampa Tribune have expressed their enthusiasm for this new plan. But the reality is that the size of the museum will be cut by about one third with this move until an additonal building can be built. That will not occur until the Museum has raised a significant amount of funds to do so.

Who won in this new location ?

First of course, is the landlord. He is going to have a significant tenant for a previously vacant location.

Second, the museum wins. They now have a place to move to instead of being out on the street. While their current space will decrease significantly, at least they will have a space.

Third, Mayor Iorio wins. She is going to be able to remove the current building to further her plans for Riverwalk Park. Under the proposed deal, the museum will be held more accountable for their funding.

Fourth, the Public Wins ! An enhanced waterfront park, more accountability of the spending of public funds, and a continuing art museum with a long term plan in place.

And maybe, just maybe, Kiley Park won too.

In a recent press release, the Friends of Kiley supported the new museum location and said they anticipate "The Honorable Pam Iorio’s signature to the application for inclusion of Kiley Gardens into the National Trust, a program that will ensure the preservation of the Gardens through the allowance of solicitation of public and private grant monies to be used towards the renovation of the Gardens without undue cost to the citizens of City of Tampa while preserving the pleasure of its beauty." The New York Times featured the Park in an article last year.

We have asked the Mayor about this designation on two occasions, she has not indicated her intent to sign the application. We think it is time for her to do so.