University of Tampa - Moroccan Yearbook (Tampa, FL)

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r Above: The shape of the minaret prevented more than 5 men from working on the scaffolding at one time. Below: Topping off a long hard job. Right: Restored minaret shining over city of Tampa and University. The entire project began when the university ap- pealed to the city of Tampa and Mayor Bob Marti- nez for funds to renovate the dilapidated structures in 1984. The original proposal called for $1.2 million to be allocated for the renovation, but the City Council voted to allocate $1.5 million instead. The university concurrently accepted an increase in the cost to lease Plant Hall from the city from $1 annually to $50,000, with the city agreeing to handle all major maintenance of the building. The first minaret cost approximately $140,000 to complete, and sig- nals the beginning of the end of a project that is sure to re- store Plant Hall, the flagship of the university and the city of Tampa, to its formidable former beauty. 23

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A NEEDED FACELIFT After numerous campaigns, promises, assurances, bud- gets, and changes of the project sign near Kennedy Boulevard, the University of Tampa community finally saw something besides scaffolding to indicate that those men up on the minarets were working after all. After a two-year wait, the first completely renovated minaret was unveiled late in 1986. The completed minaret, one of 13 that top Plant Hall, was the first to undergo the complete process of renovation, which included a total of four phases. The first of these, begun in May of 1984, was the the removal of the built-up guano of owls and pidgeons that had nested in the minarets for almost 100 years undisturbed. The removal and disposal of the guano took four months to complete, with the detoxification procedure requiring ten days alone. Workers were required to wear protective space suits” to avoid breathing toxic fumes, and at one point, Plant Hall was closed for a day as a safety measure. Phase II of the project, begun in the summer of 1985, includ- ed the interior restructuring of the minarets. This job was com- plicated by the architecture of the minarets, which limited work space, and the varied states of disrepair encountered from one minaret to another. New door frames and doors were installed, and the minaret floors were covered with a roofing compound to prevent the leakage that had already forced the repair of sev- eral offices in Plant Hall. The interior structures of the minar- ets, in place since the erection of the building in 1886 and con- structed of wood that had become termite-ridden over the years. were replaced with steel supports. Phase III involved the reskinning of one minaret in order to adjust the budget for the final restoration of the others. This was completed, and the first minaret revealed, in November 1986. The galvanized tin finish that had been painted gold for the fiftieth anniversary of the university in 1982 was removed and replaced with stainless steel sheathing. The gold paint used for the repainting five years ago lacked an asphalt base, and could not expand and contract with the structure beneath it. As a result, the minarets began to peel badly soon after the painting. The stainless steel sheathing used ensured a much more durable finish than any paint, and also returned the minar- ets to their traditional silver appearance. This phase of the proj- ect was also delayed, as the shape of the minarets prevented more than five men from working on the scaffolding at any one time. The final phase of the project. Phase IV, is estimated to require ten to fourteen months. During this time, the remaining three minarets, three domes, and four cupolas will receive the same reskinning treatment. The work on these structures is ex- pected to go much quicker than on the first minaret. 22 Student Life

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