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Old City Hall Elevator Comes Of Age

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By JESSICA DaSILVA

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 2, 2008

TAMPA - After almost 100 years of ferrying passengers up and down eight floors, the manually operated elevator in Old City Hall is getting a makeover.

The 93-year-old elevator will have its cab replaced and its shaft widened, and will be upgraded to an electrical system.

All the while, efforts will be made to keep its early 20th century look intact, said Irvin Lee, director of public works.

It is the last manual elevator in the city that is still used daily.

The improvements will cost about $52,000 and will eliminate the need for the elevator to be manually operated.

To ride the elevator, a security guard shuts a metal gate and shifts a hand crank at the side.

Once the makeover is complete, passengers will be able to push a button for their desired floor, just like any other elevator.

Although the elevator frequently breaks down from minor mechanical problems, one of the key issues in deciding to revamp it was the threat of a serious breakdown. If a major component would require replacing, not many options exist.

"From what I understand, they don't even make a cab that size anymore," he said.

Bids for the work will be sought in the fall.

Lee said he was unsure of how long after the bidding construction would begin and end.

Dennis Fernandez, historical preservation manager, said there are ways to keep the look of the elevator intact, such as button-lighting and simplistic decorating.

The modernization makes sense, he said, but it still feels like Old City Hall is losing something.

"Every time you lose this type of component of a historic building, you somewhat diminish the patina of a historic structure," Fernandez said. "But as technology changes and the expectations of the users change, you have to be able to accommodate those changes as sensitively as possible."

Reporter Jessica DaSilva can be reached at (813) 259-7851 or jdasilva@tampatrib.com.

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