20060216 - Demolition work continues Thursday on the old Strand
Theatre building, located at 200 Twiggs Street in downtown Tampa. The
historic building is part of the block that includes the former Maas
Brothers department store that closed in 1991 and is being
redeveloped. The Strand Theatre - which was built in 1915 and featured
"air-cooling" - preceded its more famous neighbor the Tampa Theatre
which opened in 1926. The older movie house struggled financially and
changed owners before closing in 1929. The building later became part
of the Maas Brothers department store complex and its interior was
remodeled significantly from its theatre days. The city looked into
making a historic designation on the buildings to save them, but they
were in serious disrepair after years of neglect, said Dennis
Fernandez, the city's historic preservation manager. Atlanta-based
Wood Partners wants to build a 33-story, 450-unit condo tower with
12,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on the site. (Brian
Cassella / St. Petersburg Times)
